Fly On The Wall
by Villana Del Amor
Summary: Throughout the years, she was nothing but a fly on the wall to them. But things have changed and now they are all different. Everything is different- especially her. Vince/OFC, Dom/Letty
1. As If

**Title**: Fly on the Wall

**Author: **Villana Del Amor

**Rating:** M

**Summary**: Throughout the years, she was nothing but a fly on the wall to them. But now things have changed. They are different. Everything is different- especially her. Vince/OFC

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing but the OFC.

**Chapter 1**: As If

She fell back into the lounge chair where she had currently spent the last couple of hours tanning. She knew she would regret it in a couple of hours, but it was better than being inside that house. She pushed off the straps holding her top up and let them fall to the side, avoiding any more tan lines than necessary.

Nicolette Rodriguez put her sunglasses on and continued her usual routine of scowling. It was what she did. Ever since the heists. Ever since they ran off to Mexico and spent several months there, waiting for anything and everything to happen. For the cops to kick down their door, yelling for them to freeze. For her to spend the rest of her life behind bars.

But as every day passed, the anxiety built up. Everyone was scared. Everyone lived their life to the fullest. As much tequila as they could down, as many people they could fuck. But the day never came and they worried. Worried until Hector showed up on their doorstep, telling them that it was safe to come home.

No one asked, but everyone knew. Brian had saved their asses once again. Letty could remember the only time Dom brought his name up. She heard him whisper it to Hector, whose only response was that he was gone. After that, no one dared to bring up his name. But that didn't stop them from wondering about him, that didn't stop Mia from loving him.

Letty sat in the back yard, staring at the house, wondering what the fuck she was still doing there. Hiding outside from the devils that were inside. They were not the same. They were broken. Everyone was. No one quite knew how to go on, so they did what they knew best. Built cars. Raced. Partied.

_Like as if nothing happened._

But she knew. Even if they all walked around with their chests puffed out and acted like nothing had changed, she knew. She felt it every time Vince poured himself another shot. Every time Dom disappeared into the garage to work on his father's car. Every time Jesse took another pill for the pain. Every time Leon sulked in his room, reading another magazine. Every time Mia disappeared into the kitchen for hours. Every time she went into the backyard.

She hated it. The fact that they were all pleased with being so fake. With walking around acting so- "Are you coming inside, any time soon?" Dom asked, interrupting her thoughts. He emerged from within the garage, wiping his hands on a dirty rag. She rolled her eyes and watched as he walked towards her.

"When sun the goes down," she replied, her voice sultry and smooth. Dom continued to stare at her, a frown on his face. His mind ran a mile a minute, trying to think of what to say. The correct phrase that wouldn't lead to them having a fight- again. It had become the usual. More than ever, they fought for no reason. A simple look, an innocent sigh, would send either one of them into a rage.

But this time the fights were different. Everyone could tell they were. In the past, the fights were full of love and passion, but now, they were full of boredom and unspoken thoughts. Now they fought to keep the dullness from killing them off slowly. They fought to make sure that they could still feel something. Other than regret. Shame. Sadness. They fought.

"Dinner will be ready soon," he said, glancing towards the house and then back to her. Letty sucked her teeth and shrugged. "I can tell Dom. Mia's been in the God damn kitchen banging pots and pans for the last hour or so," she said, closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair, clearly dismissing him.

There it was. The simply action that would set him off. A shrug. A dismissive look. That's all that took for him to start roaring at her. And then they were off, like as if the last couple of months had taught them nothing.

_As If._

Mia watched from the kitchen window, shaking her head sadly. _When did we get so fucked up?_ She thought to herself, watching as Letty and Dom stood toe to toe, berating each other. Mia crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, they could put on all the acts they wanted, but they all fell apart as soon as they got home.

At the garage, they were the best friends. At the races, they were the cool ones, that nobody could ever step to. But as soon at they pulled into the driveway, all the fronts were dropped. They would return to their usual arrogant selves. _Like as if they don't know any better_, Mia thought as Vince walked into the kitchen.

He headed instinctively to the fridge, opening the door and peering into it. Mia turned and leaned against the counters, watching him. Her face was blank, but everyone could clearly see what she was thinking and it wasn't anything good.

Letty and Dom had each other to keep company, either by arguing or fucking, but lately it had been by the latter. They now kept separate rooms, Letty bunking with Mia or hitting the couch every night. But just how Letty and Dom had each other to fight with, Mia had Vince. No could figure it out, why they took a turn for the worse, and Jesse and Leon had no choice but to put pillows over their heads or music on when the two got to fighting. They didn't try to figure it out, just hide in their rooms from the fallout.

Mia sucked her teeth, watching as Vince rummaged through the fridge. He froze and slowly turned towards her, a scowl on his face. They stared at each for a few moments, silently wishing that the other would say or do something first. Mia gave in first, believing that playing Vince's little game was childish. V scoffed and chuckled to himself, declaring himself the winner.

"You're such an ass!" Mia said, turning around and getting back to dinner. V slammed the fridge door shut and held his arms out. "I haven't said one damn word since I got home from work, Mia. How the hell am I such an ass?" He said, pulling out a chair from the table and plopping down into it.

"Look at you," she yelled, pointing at him with a cooking spoon in her hand, "You're disgusting! Ever heard of a shower, a shave and clean clothes?" He continued to scoff and shook his head, cursing her silently. "Hey, I don't hear anybody else but you complaining!" He shouted back, slamming his hands down on the table.

"No wonder all you can do is bring skanks home. A woman with some sort of self respect would have to be mentally deranged to ever think about dating you," Mia snapped back, flipping around and staring at him. They continued to shout back and forth, another usual for the team.

In the beginning, the neighbors would call the cops every so often and they would get a ticket or some sort of reprimand. But now they were used to it. They figured that the two were a couple, going through a rough patch. But the team knew that the real reason Vince and Mia fought about every little thing was because they were blaming each other.

Vince would blame Mia for Brian. Mia would blame Vince for not fighting harder to get them to believe that Brian was a cop. They never voiced their blame, but Leon and Jesse knew enough about everyone to know what was really going on. Anybody else would've just chalked it up to scorned lovers, but this ran more deeply.

Mia slapped V across the face, followed by some spit that landed squarely on his forehead. He wiped it off with a growl and stood up so fast that the chair fell back. She took a step back, her chest heaving at his words. "Whether or not I'm a prude and will never get married and have a life of my own, is none of your God damn business!" She yelled at him.

V knew he would never hit a woman, but her next statement almost pushed him towards the edge. "If I were you I would worry about how you can't get it up anymore cause you're always so drunk! How do you plan on pleasing your skanks with your fucked up arm and your limp dick? You can't even get that right! You're a reject, V. You should've stayed on that truck!"

As soon as those words left her mouth, she felt her heart drop. He clenched his good fist, feeling like he was about to lose it and put her through a wall. But instead, he resorted to flipping over the kitchen table, sending glass everywhere.

Dom and Letty froze, glancing back towards the house. "What the?" Letty said, following Dom into the house. By the time they got there, Mia was balled up in a corner, crying her eyes out. The kitchen was a mess. Something was burning on the stove. Vince was gone.

_Like as if he was never there._

They didn't know what to do. Where to look. Dom thought he knew his best friend, but his knowledge was quickly but to the test when he realized that Vince was gone. Disappeared. He wasn't at any of his bars. Any of his other friend's houses. He wasn't at the shop. He grabbed his guitar case and left. Not a single shred of evidence pointing towards his location.

His cell phone was off and Dom had no choice but to tell Jesse to locate him using the GPS anti-theft system in his car. As he paced, waiting for the information, he watched as Mia tried to put the kitchen back together. Letty stood in a corner, still in her bathing suit, watching Mia and frowning down upon her.

"I told him that he should've stayed on the truck," Mia whispered, picking up a chair and righting it. Letty shook her head and glared at her. "That's fucked up, Mi. What if that was you instead of him? You crossed the line." Mia flipped around, her hair flying behind her wildly. "You think I don't know that Let? We were just fighting like always. And the words came out so easily that I didn't even realize what I said until I saw the tears in his eyes!"

Dom walked into the kitchen, a piece of paper in his hand. He shoved it into Mia's hand and pointed at it. "You go and find him. You fix this and bring him home! Even when we were knee deep in shit because of the heists, we never once left each other. We're not about to start now," he barked at her.

He took a step back and cocked an eyebrow at his little sister, taking a stand against all her bullshit. Everyone thought Mia was so nice and prim and proper. But Dom knew that she had a mean streak in her. He knew that she could be a real mean bitch when necessary. He knew that she would push the right buttons. He was only glad that V held his composure and didn't do more damage than necessary.

_Like as if they needed any more shit dropped on them._

Mia pulled into the motel's parking lot, already cringing at the conditions. How V could even conjure up the balls to come to this hell hole, she would never know. As she passed the flashing pink sign that read PINK FLAMINGO, the motel's name, she spotted his car. Mia parked next to his and shifted into park, turning her car off. As she pulled the key from the ignition, something in her mind forced her to stop and think.

Pink Flamingo. _Sounds familiar_, she thought to herself, exiting her car and walking over towards the door in front of V's car. She found it ajar and stuck her head through, finding Vince sitting on the bed, his back towards her. "V?" She whispered, a fake smile already plastered on her face.

He turned towards her and the smile instantly disappeared. Her eyes immediately fell on the picture in his good hand, the other holding a bottle of whiskey. She drew her eyes up and found his tear soaked face and that's when it all came back to her.

How Vince ended up at the Toretto household. How his mom committed suicide, in a motel not too far from the house. That's why the name sounded so familiar. That's why Mia's body began to shake from the sobs. That's why she ran towards him, throwing herself on top of him.

_Like as if the fight never happened._


	2. Thought

**Chapter 2**: Thought

She never thought it would lead to this. She never figured that it would all come down to Vince almost leaving them to shock them all awake. To make them realize that they couldn't hide from each other and the world forever. That was the lesson they all learned that night, when Mia called Dom to let him know that things were okay. Not great, but okay.

She stood by his side and offered as much love and support as she could, anything to get him to put the bottle and picture down. Anything to get him to put his arms around her. But it took Mia dropping to her knees in front of him, begging him not to leave her, to kick start reality for him. "It was all my fault, V! I should've been with you and not the buster. If you leave, I'm going with you," she cried, grasping on to his jeans.

Vince dropped before her, their foreheads finding each other. She stared into his deep blue eyes and sighed. She was honestly ready to go with him if the night called for it. And this was what scared Vince. The fact that she was ready to go, the fact that she would in fact hit the road with him, if he asked her to.

He lowered his shoulders and dropped his head into her lap, letting the picture and bottle slide from between his fingers. "I'm so sorry," Mia whispered, covering his body with hers. It was enough to make a grown man cry, but it only moved Vince so much. To the point where he wanted to throw up. He rushed towards the bathroom and emptied the contents of his stomach. When he was done, Vince leaned his head against the cool tile and tried to make sense of what was going on.

He was this close to losing it, them, her and himself. But there was something about it all that still didn't sit right with him. There was just something wrong.

_Just another thought._

_What the hell?_ It shocked him. For the past couple of months, the only emotion Dom could get her to partake in was anger. But this was different; the look in her eyes was different now. Love. Sadness. Regret. Whatever it was, it did the trick for him.

Before the big and mighty Dominic Toretto knew it, he was in Letty's arms, crying like a baby. And as much as it shamed him, everyone cried that night. Everyone found themselves at the fort, locked away in the darkness. Locked away with their secrets and regrets.

_Just another thought._

"Don't ever leave me," Mia whispered, sliding underneath the warm sheets. "Never, babe," Vince whispered, throwing an arm around her stomach and nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck.

_Just another regret.._

"Dom?" Letty whispered into the darkness, their bedroom completely dark. She heard the sniffle and her head instantly turned towards the window. He was sitting on the window seat, staring outside. "Come to bed, boo," she said, walking over towards the bed and climbing in. The bed squeaked against the extra weight and rustling was heard as everything was righted in the Toretto household. Once again.

"You think we'll be okay?" Jesse asked, his eyes trained on the game they were playing. Leon shrugged, never taking his eyes off the screen. "We've been through worse and made it. We've gotten this far, there's no need to fuck up now," he replied, hitting the buttons on the controller furiously. _He's right_, Jesse thought, realizing that they were in the clear now. All they needed was a wakeup call, and V gave it to them.

_Just another night._

_Another secret, another regret._

_Just another thought._

Like usual, Mia woke early and sneaked out of Vince's room. Leaving behind all her secrets and regrets in that bedroom. She would climb the basement stairs as quietly and quickly as she could, but this time, she wasn't the only one up early, working on their secrets and regrets.

Dom woke earlier than usual, hoping to find Mia up and have a chat with her about what happened with Vince. He found himself up alone and decided to put in some extra wrench time, instead of going up stairs and waking her. He didn't give it a second thought, but Mia was always the first one up. He just chalked it up to last night's events.

As he entered the house through the backdoor, he found Mia exiting the basement, clad in only a shirt. He growled, realizing that his baby sister was up to no good. "Mia," he said, a stern tone in his voice. She froze and turned towards him, suddenly feeling very under dressed. She grabbed on to the bottom of the shirt she was wearing and tried to pull it down farther on her legs, but it didn't help. It also didn't help the matter that she was wearing a shirt that was clearly Vince's. _Shit_, she thought.

Dom leaned against the counter and shook his head, looking at her with an eyebrow cocked. "You gotta be shitting me," he drawled out, shaking his head furiously. "Let me explain, Dom," she began to say but was stopped by him holding a hand up. He continued to shake his head, realizing that Vince was a goner.

People would say that Mia was nice and sweet, but he knew better than to buy into the façade she put on for everyone. He knew his sister like the back of his hand. She always had good intentions, but the ways she went about things were usually not so good. It was how she got whatever she wanted- a smile, a kiss, a favor. Whatever it was this time, it meant no good for his best friend.

"It's complicated, Dom," she whispered, glancing back down the basement stairs, secretly hoping that Vince didn't decide to come upstairs. "No! What it is, is upsetting me, Mia. I thought that after last night we would all get our shit together, but clearly you just took that as an opportunity to screw over V. Knowing that you don't want anything to do with him. He's been after your skinny ass for years, and now you want to give it up to him? Just when he's so vulnerable!" He yelled at her.

Mia fidgeted in her spot and thought about her words carefully. She didn't want to set Dom off, have him fly off on a rage. If it was true about the team trying to work their shit out, she didn't want to be the cause of another meltdown. "We've been together… for a while, Dom," she said, spacing out her words evenly.

Dom's eyes sprang up to her and much to her dismay, they weren't lit up with hope or happiness, more like disgust and disbelief. He continued to shake his head while he headed for the door. "You better not break his heart, Mi. I don't have to give you the same speech I gave the buster, because you already know it very well. I've given it to every loser you've brought home. Every sad fool that let you use them until you got bored and decided to go off with the next one," he said.

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

Dom scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You talk so much about how the guys and me are just man whores. How we should just install revolving doors in our bedroom. What about you?"

"Hey! I loved Brian, Dom. I really did. He wasn't just another one of my flings. If you hadn't fucked up things, we still would've been together. I loved him!"

"And what about Vince?"

Dom smirked as he saw Mia's face go blank at his question. He took that as his answer and ran his hand over his head, before exiting the kitchen and heading back to the garage. He had a lot of things to think about. Alone.

Mia stared after him, realizing that Dom was right. She was a complete and utter bitch when it came to men. _It's their entire fault anyways. I've seen them treat girls like whores for years. I'm simply just playing their game to my advantage_, she thought to herself. Her mind drifted to Brian, her true love. She sat down at the kitchen table and thought about the few good times they had together.

As she glanced down to her current attire, Vince's shirt, she realized that she was currently between a rock and a hard place. She knew that Brian wasn't coming back and she knew that she had already dug herself a hole when it came to V. She had led him on, led him to believe that she had feelings for him. And she did. She enjoyed spending her nights with him, but when the sun rose, she liked getting back to her own world even better.

Vince was her dirty little secret, and that was what turned her on.

The good girl messing around with the dirty car mechanic.

She was turned on.

_I might as well keep going with this. Play on both sides of the tracks,_ she thought to herself.

Not like Vince was going anywhere.

_Or so she thought._

Vince laid in bed, starring up at the ceiling. He could hear the faint sounds of Mia and Dom talking and figured nothing good could come out of it. He sighed, rubbing his belly, trying to soothe his worries. He didn't know what to do with Mia, what to do with himself.

_It's not like we're making this a serious thing, right?_ He thought to himself, realizing that he might just be stuck with Mia now. They had started doing the deed a few months ago. They had just gotten back from Mexico and Dom had another one of his famous parties. Too many Coronas later and the two were getting in on in the garage, away from prying eyes.

And ever since then, they were either fighting or fucking. And Vince was pretty much bored. He had lusted after Mia for so many years and when he finally got her, he realized that he wasn't missing out on anything. He could let her go, but Dom would crawl up his ass and take permanent residence there. _I gotta figure this shit out_, he thought, picking up his pillow and placing it over his face.

Vince groaned and began to think.

The Mia situation deserved some thought.


	3. Knew

**Please Read and Review!**

**Chapter 3**: Knew

_Yes, the Mia situation does deserve some thought_, V said to himself. And he knew just the place to do it. At his favorite local bar.

And that's where Vince found himself tonight. After a long day of being at the garage and putting up with Dom's hawk eyes, he chose to find refuge at Lou's. He was a loyal customer, always stopping by at least twice a week for a nice, cold beer- without the troubles of home following him.

He saw down in his usual spot, at the far, dark corner of the bar and motioned to Lou for the usual ice cold Corona. As the drink slid down the bar towards him, Vince rolled out his neck, the cracks and kinks bouncing off the walls. Lou cringed and smirked at him, before offering him a nod.

Lou was your average, hard working bar owner. His family of three girls lived upstairs and took turns helping him out with the customers. He and Vince knew each other pretty well, he had been a paying customer ever since he could drink and V had been taking care of his car for even longer.

"You know, one day you'll come in here without a care on your shoulders or with a nice girl wrapped around your arm. Either one of those or free college tuition for my girls will send me into an early grave," Lou said, his voice tinted with a southern accent.

Vince scoffed and took a sip of his beer. "What nice girl would like to come here, to this dump? I'd be better off taking her to McDonalds."

"Considering McDonalds and this dump are the only places you frequent, the only options would be helping her scarf down a big Mac while you sat outside some fancy restaurant or brining her here, where she can watch you down as much as you can before you start to ooze Corona," Lou responded, sliding a bowl of pretzels his way.

Vince scoffed and continued to down his beer. "Whatever happened to that girl, what's her face? The one you were in here blabbering about when you got shitfaced last week. The one with the soft hair and even softer hands," Lou said.

V smirked, realizing that he had one too many last week. Instead of his usual mix of tequila and Coronas, he had decided to throw back an entire bottle of whiskey. Anything to drown out the voices in his head. Lou could only cock an eyebrow and serve his favorite customer one shot at a time. Vince knew before he had started to drink that getting obliterated would solve nothing. He would still have to go home at the end of the night and sleep next to her.

Not like he had a choice. It was exactly one week ago that Dom gave him the same speech he gave the buster. It was exactly one week ago that Dom found out about Mia and him, and it was exactly one week ago since Vince realized that he did not want to be with Mia.

Well, not in a real relationship at least. He didn't know it, but Mia felt the same exact way. The only thing that Vince knew and understood was that he had no choice but to keep on playing boyfriend to Mia. That is, if he didn't want Dom to hold his version of court in the backyard.

He finished his beer and motioned to Lou to get him another one. Vince glanced over at the worn out clock on the wall. _This beer and then I have to go_, he said to himself. He sighed, realizing that he had to gear up for yet another night with the team. Races. Party. Then in bed with Mia. Again.

He knew he had no other choice.

Vince chugged the beer down and threw some money on the counter. "Down to the warehouses?" Lou said, picking up the money and disposing of the empty beer bottle. "Yeah, just another usual night," he mumbled, sliding off the stool and nodding towards him.

He exited the bar, welcoming the fresh air. Vince slid into his car and peeled off, hoping to make it back in time for a quick shower and something to eat. He knew that it wouldn't be easy to pull off tonight. All the skanks walking around, tempting him. He groaned, realizing that it didn't matter what he knew. All it mattered was what he did tonight- and for the rest of his life.

Until he got the balls to tell Mia to kick rocks.

_He knew_.

As Vince emerged from the basement, running his hands through his wet hair, he knew that tonight was gonna be the night. The night he lost it and flipped out on Mia. As he entered the kitchen, he found her waiting for him, a plate in her hand. He smiled weakly at her and grabbed the plate, ripping the aluminum foil off it and heading straight towards the table.

"So… what's the plan for tonight?" She asked, a sweet smile on her face. _She never lets me fucking eat in peace_, Vince thought to himself. As he was about to dig into the warm plate of food in front of him, he froze and looked up at her. "Um… the usual. What is this? Some sort of trick question?"

Mia shrugged and sat down in the chair next to him. "I dunno. It's the first race night after we became official. I don't know how this should go. Do I ride with you? Or do we take separate cars?" She asked. _Please don't let me have to ride with him in his death trap_, she thought to herself. V shrugged and began to eat. "You should take your own car. Just in case I race and the cops show up," he replied, his mouth full of food.

Mia cringed and released a breath she didn't even know she was holding. _Like as if your loser ass ever gets to race. Your slow as shit- both on and off the blacktop_, she thought to herself. "Cool," she said, standing up and exiting the kitchen.

She climbed the stairs to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. _How the hell did I get myself into this fucked up situation? I shouldn't be worried about Vince tonight. I should be worried about where I'm going after the races. Which club I should hit up with the girls tonight. Which loser gets my attention for a few hours. Not Vince. Definitely, not Vince._

Mia knew she had no choice but to smile and act like everything was pleasant between Vince and her. If she didn't, she would prove that Dom was right. That it was just a fling and she knew she couldn't give Dom the pleasure of shoving it in her face that she was just like the rest of them. A slut. A whore. _I'm too good for that_, she thought, walking over to her mirror and beginning to work on her makeup.

_It's not that he's a bad guy. It's just that he's a disgusting one. He's a slob. He's a drunk. He's an idiot. As bad as it sounds, he's a grease monkey. I should've known better than to start fucking him. Well.. It's the only thing he's good at. The old coyote. Good choice of words. But still… I've should've known_.

Mia finished her makeup up and grabbed her wallet from the nightstand. She could hear Dom bellowing downstairs and knew it was time. She placed her hand on the door knob and took in a deep breath, before opening the door and plastering her infamous fake smile on her face. "Coming!" She yelled, turning off the light and heading downstairs.

_I should've known better. Shit. I knew better._

The stood around Dom's car, sizing up the competition. As usual, it was all of them, minus Mia. Mia's sole job was to stand off to the side and look pretty. Count the money. Look pretty. It was what she did, it was what she was known for. Count. Pretty.

Dom kept shifting his glances between Vince and Mia. They were both doing a half assed job at trying to stay faithful to each other. Vince's eyes kept roaming and Mia couldn't help herself from flirting. Dom nodded, realizing that he was right. Mia was just using Vince, but he wasn't so sure about V being in love with Mia. Yeah, he had been her lapdog for years, but it seemed like Vince was just as bad as she was.

"What's going through your mind?" Letty asked, wrapping an arm around Dom. Just as Dom turned to respond to her, something caught her eye. She turned and glanced over to the other side of the warehouses, where Hector was standing next to some girl. _I know her from somewhere_, Letty thought, poking Dom in the ribs and then motioning over to them.

Dom's eyes followed Hector and the girl, as they walked over to every car and chatted up the racers. He cocked his head to the side and tried to come up with an answer to what Letty was thinking. Who was that chick? He knew better than to think of anything else, Letty could usually tell what he was thinking. He knew better than to upset Letty now, just when they were so close to patching things up.

He glanced over to Vince, who had some blonde bimbo hanging off of him and found him also staring at the girl. _This could be bad_, Dom said to himself, as he glanced over to Mia and found her leaning against her car, furious.

_Not only is this fucker letting some skank fondle him, but he has the audacity to drool over some other bitch_, she thought to herself. Mia sucked her teeth and made her way over to Vince. By the time she made her way there, Vince had pushed the skank away and plastered a fake smile on his face.

"Um… this could be bad," Dom said, pushing Letty towards Mia and Vince. Letty took the hint and hiked her low riding cargo pants up before walking over to them. "What's going on?" She asked, leaning next to Vince against his car. "Nothing much," Mia stammered out, a pissed off look on her face. She wasn't mad that Vince was checking out other girls, she was just mad that he didn't even try to hide it.

And then it was like the world slowed down. _Shit, this is bad_, Letty thought as she watched Hector and the girl walk over. Even Letty couldn't help but check the girl out. _Fuck! She's hot as hell_, she thought as she ran her eyes over her body. She smirked and glanced over at Dom, motioning for him to come over and save them from whatever was about to pop off.

Letty watched out of the corner of her eyes as Mia closed the distance between Vince and her by leaning against his side, a snotty look already on her face. _Oh shit! Mia's getting territorial_, Letty thought. _Ahh.. Mia is cute. She's skinny. Has a body and a face that's built for the runway, but this girl… this girl can give her a run for her money. Mia's movie beautiful, but this girl has everyone on the street beat_.

"Hey guys. This is my cousin Jackie," Hector said, as he introduced the team. They chatted for a few minutes, before jealousy reared its ugly head. "What do you do for a living?" Mia asked, a harsh tone in her voice. Dom rolled his eyes and knew where this was heading. _Anything to prove that she is better than anyone. Mia will go on about med school and belittle this girl's very existence. The only thing that could top this is me losing tonight's race_, Dom thought.

Jackie scowled and quickly covered it up when Hector placed a hand on her arm. She rolled her neck and glanced over at Mia. "I own and run my own boutique in town. I create and sell my own clothes, as well as other designers," she replied in an even tone. Everyone nodded their heads in approval, everyone except Mia, whose only response was to glance over at V and find him hanging on to her every word. "Well, we run a garage and store and I go to med school," Mia replied, a small smile on her face.

It was as if she didn't say anything, everyone kept talking like as if Mia hadn't spoken. They chatted for a couple of minutes and as every minute went by, Mia found herself getting angrier and angrier. Every time she tried to say something, they spoke over her, ignoring her very existence. She watched as Vince and the team interacted with Jackie, like as if she was the new Mia. _Look at this asshole, _she thought_, hanging on to her every word. Look at him acting all different. He hasn't cursed not one god damn time since she's been here. If it was me, we would've already been arguing and cursing each other out. I deserve better than this bitch_.

As Jackie and Hector excused themselves to go set up for the races, Vince followed Jackie with his eyes until he couldn't see her anymore. He followed her until he couldn't see that Mia was standing right in front of him, her hands on her hips, a scowl on her face. He leaned to the side and continued to follow Jackie and Hector.

Dom scratched his head and glanced at his watch. "Looks like its race time," he mumbled, grabbing Letty and walking off, not wanting to stand around for the fight that was about to happen. Leon and Jesse took Dom's hint and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Vince with a very pissed off Mia.

"What the fuck, V? I'm standing right here!" She said, taking a step closer to him. V rolled his eyes and sighed. _Not this shit again_. "What are you talking about?" He knew very well what he did to piss her off, but he didn't really care. There was something new on his radar. Something better than Mia.

"You're drooling over that bitch! When was the last time you looked at me like that?" Mia said, her voice laced with anger. V scoffed and shook his head. "Are you kidding me? You're making it sound like as if we've been together for years. Cut the bullshit, Mia. You're just jealous."

"Whatever, V. I'm so tired of listening to you make excuses for every little thing. Now the latest topic will be about how I'm not good enough for you. I'm not the flavor of the month anymore."

"I spent so many god damn years running around after you. You made sure that everyone in the world knew that I wasn't good enough for you and I still didn't quit. You were the only thing I wanted for years!"

"Well, maybe if you weren't so disgusting and such an ass, I would've bothered to give you the time of day!"

"And you sure as hell don't bother to hide the fact that I'm still not good enough for you every day. Always looking down at me about my clothes, my hair, my car, how I smell, my room. Enough is enough, Mia! I don't know why you stick around if I'm so disgusting!"

With this statement, they both looked at the opportunities that arose. Mia could tell Dom that they broke up over Jackie. _He just couldn't keep his eyes off of her. I broke up with him so that he didn't get a chance to cheat on me._ Vince could tell Dom that she was insane with jealousy. _Dude, she got all crazy for no reason. I had to break up with her; she got all controlling and shit._

They both knew Dom would see through their bullshit, but it didn't matter. This was their out. Their only out and they knew it.

"She'll never even make into your bed. As soon as you take your shirt off she'll go running for the hills. You're such a loser, V. Always aiming too high," Mia spat out, before turning on her heel and walking away. Vince stared after her, his face bright red. He breathed deeply and let it out slowly. Mia always knew the buttons to press. She always knew.

Vince got into his car and took off, regretting ever setting his sights on Mia.

He headed to the only place he knew would make him feel better.

The only place where he knew things were gonna go alright.

Back to Lou's.


	4. Interesting

**Chapter 4**: Interesting

And yet again, Letty found herself in the backyard, tanning. But this time she wasn't hiding out from anyone other than herself. When Dom asked why she had started to take refuge once again, her only response was to shrug.

She didn't know why she needed to be by herself all of the sudden, but there was something in her that told her to the backyard and to sit there. And wait. And for what, she didn't know.

_Ain't this some bullshit? I can't find peace in my own god damn house. Everywhere I turn, there's Dom. Trying to connect and shit. Why can't he just let things be? We're sleeping in the same room again. He isn't cheating, for now. Let shit just go. Now he let Vince and Mia get under her skin. He's become obsessed with those two. Always talking about Mia this, Mia that. Fuck me, okay. Why don't you forget about your bitch of a sister and fuck me! I didn't know part of us getting back together was you not fucking me. If so, I would've much preferred to keep on fighting, at least then we were fucking!_

Letty sighed, realizing that the only reason she was on edge was because she was days away from getting her period. Hell week, as the team liked to refer to it. _How come when I get my period it's hell week? When Mia gets her period all they do is go out and get some Midol and ice cream for her. FUCK! _

She shifted positions in the lounge chair arranged her bathing suit- she didn't need anymore tan lines. As she was doing so, she found Vince walking around the house, trying to not be seen_. Interesting_, she thought to herself.She cleared her throat and scowled at him, angry that he was trying to be sneaky and didn't even let her take part in it.

Vince froze, a mere foot or two from being inside the house and in the clear. He turned on his heel and began to walk towards her, figuring that if he put up a fight, it would call for unnecessary attention, something he was avoiding harder than Mia.

He walked over to her and pulled his shirt off, plopping down into the chair next to her. They leaned back together and closed their eyes, letting their bodies warm up to the sun. "I would've thought me and you were closer than that," she said, placing a pair of sunglasses on her face.

It was true, Dom and Vince were best friends but nobody knew how deep the friendship between Letty and Vince ran. Dom had an idea, but he didn't dare question it if he wanted to get some sleep that night. The two had been close since they were little, considering that they were both sharing Dom, but while Dom got locked up and they were on the run, they grew closer. Almost brother and sister like.

"I see why you do this so much. Reminds me of Mexico and the beach down the road from the house," Vince replied, ignoring her statement. She scoffed and nodded, realizing that he was right. She didn't tan because she felt the urge to be darker. She tanned because it reminded her of Mexico and how calm she was at the ocean's edge.

"Remember, we always used to go down there around noon and sit down at the water's edge, drinking until we had to lean on each other to stand up straight, let alone walk."

"What I remember clearly was Dom always bitching about how he was flipping shit cause he couldn't find us. Thought the feds had gotten their hands on us."

"Shit, the only reason Dom was pissed was because he didn't have us to run his little errands. Go get more drinks. Do the laundry. Go talk to Mia, she's lonely. Go check on Jesse. Go work on the car. Blah, fucking blah. That man is such an arrogant, lazy ass."

"That time of the month, huh?"

"Like as if you need any confirmation. You wanna tell me where you've been for the last week? Why the hell you've been acting like a ghoul around the house and the shop? The rest of them may act like they haven't noticed, but they've been missing you talking shit non-stop for a few days now."

"I've been around."

Letty sat up in her chair and turned towards him. She scowled at him and refused to move her stare. She knew eventually Vince would crack, he hated playing the staring game. She watched him squirm in the chair and smirked to herself. "Just spill it, V. I'm worried," she whispered, letting all the confidence and toughness disappear from her entire demeanor.

"I'm fine, Letty. Just going through some shit, just how you do every 28 days," he mumbled, standing up and grabbing his shirt from the back of the chair. He walked into the house, only to find Mia in the kitchen, getting started on dinner. Letty wouldn't let the matter go, she was hot on his heels.

As she entered the kitchen, she found Mia staring at Vince, disgust written all over her face. Letty watched as Vince hung his head and immediately put his shirt on, before disappearing down into the basement. _This bitch is looking down on him because of his scars! I'm gonna fucking destroy her!_ Letty thought to herself, before she walked over to Mia and got into her face.

"What is it, Letty? I don't have time to listen to you going on and on about Dom or some car, because I simply don't care," Mia said, turning around and getting back to a pie she was making. Letty shoved her to the side and grabbed the pie out of her hand, walking over to the back door and flinging it into the middle of the yard. She smiled as the pie hit the chairs and broke apart.

"What the fuck?" Mia yelled, walking over to the door, finding her pie disintegrated. And before they both knew, Letty was on top of Mia and she was swinging. Mia didn't stand a chance, she had led a sheltered life of Ken and Barbie dolls. Letty had grown up with the boys and she was currently putting a hurting on Mia and her very existence.

Letty didn't notice when Dom and Leon had separated them, but she kept swinging until Dom had dragged her around the side of the house and dropped her inside the garage. His face had a combination look of rage and bewilderment, not believing what just happened in his kitchen- between his girlfriend and sister.

"Letty, what the fuck is going on?" He asked, watching as Letty began to pace the garage, her chest heaving as she fought to control her anger.

"I gave it to her good, Dom. She's such a little bitch. Someone had to put her in her place."

"No! You had no right. Mia is set in her ways and you know that. You shouldn't have beaten her like that, Let. You and her are not the same. You're the bully!"

"Don't you fucking dare take her side, Dom. That's why she gets away with shit all the time, because everyone is afraid that if they fuck with her they'll have to answer to you! Well, I'm not afraid of you Dom. So if you're gonna give it to me, go on!"

"You're fucking insane. Are you on your period again? Is this why you're picking fights with fucking Mia? Dammit, Letty. She would never do anything to you!"

"Fuck you, Dom. She doesn't do shit to me because she knows I'm the only one that would put her in her fucking place. That bitch is walking around here looking down on everyone. She's fucking destroying , V. Fucking around with him and shit."

Dom froze and his eyes became slits. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. _Interesting, here comes the fucking fascination with Vince again. I can never have any fucking peace around here_, he thought to himself.

"What the fuck is going on between you and V, Let? I'm starting to think that there's more than a friendship there."

Letty crossed the divide between Dom and her in a split second. She quickly slapped him across the face, before a tear managed to slide down her face. "Don't confuse me and you, Dom. We are not the same. You remember that! And I'm starting to think that getting back with you was just another mistake that I've made ever since I set my sorry ass eyes on you!"

Before Dom could even bounce back from the slap, she was gone. All he could do was grab on to his face and wince. _Fuck, if her slap hurt me, then Mia's face must be fucked up_, he thought to himself, before emerging from the garage and heading into the house to do some damage control.

_Interesting._

Letty found herself that night walking into Vince's room, a pillow and blanket in tow. She found Vince already stretched out on the spot on the floor next to his bed. She climbed into his bed and smiled, realizing that Vince always knew when she would be making an overnighter. Usually when she couldn't stand being in the same room with Mia or Dom, and wouldn't give them the pleasure of seeing her sleep on the uncomfortable couch.

"Dom thinks we're sleeping together."

"Yeah, well at least someone in this house can name all the people they've slept with in under three minutes."

"What about Mia?"

Vince scoffed, realizing that he shouldn't kiss and tell.

"I wouldn't put her on the pedestal anymore. She's giving Jesse a run for his money."

_Then again, I hate that bitch._

Letty scoffed and threw the blanket over her.

"I can't wait for tomorrow to come. Another hot ass day in the garage and then races. Only thing I'm really excited for is getting shitfaced at the end of it all."

_Yeah, a nice cold Corona would be good right about now. Help me relax and get a good night's rest._

"Hey, you wanna go for a ride?"

"V, I think I've pissed off Dom enough for the rest of my life. I gotta be the first one at work tomorrow, bright and fucking early."

"Since when did you start caring about what Dom thinks?"

"Fuck it, you're right. When was the last time me and you got into some trouble?"

"Last time we got into some trouble, we ended up emptying out my savings account to pay for bail. I hope tonight is a step up from that," Vince said, getting up from his makeshift bed and heading over to his dresser. "I'll meet you at the door in five," Letty said, jumping out of the bed and running out the door.

The house was dark and silent by the time they met up at the front door, a shit eating grin on Letty's face. "What did you do?" Vince whispered, not wanting to let the rest of the house know that they were on the move. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "Compliments of Dom," she whispered, before opening the front door.

_Interesting_, Mia thought to herself as she heard the front door open and footsteps exit the house. Her room was right above the living room, so she was always the first one to know when someone was up and about down there. She rushed to the window and watched as Letty tried to control her laughter as she climbed into Vince's car.

_Where the fuck are they going at this time of night? What the fuck is going on between Letty and V? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? _She asked herself, as she climbed back into bed, where she would spend the next couple of hours awake, waiting for them to come home.

_Interesting._

Letty pulled Vince's car into the driveway and sighed. She glanced over and found V slumped over. _I told him to take it easy, but that boy never learns._ She climbed out of his car and walked around it, wrapping an arm around his waist and helping him into the house. She was glad that she was sober and was able to hold up some of his weight. She had had enough practice with Dom.

She didn't have the heart to make him sleep on the floor, realizing that when the sun rose and the alarm went off, he would be going through hell. "Just another day in the life," she muttered, letting Vince's body slowly flow onto the bed. She watched as he pulled off his shirt and shoes, and stretched out onto the bed.

With one fierce look from Letty, he got the message. He moved over to the other side of the bed and settled in, coming to the conclusion that no matter what, she wasn't sleeping on the floor. "Why haven't you taken me there before? To Lou's?" She asked, slipping into her pajamas.

V mumbled something incoherently and sighed. "He's my go to guy. He's the only one that can make the pain, memories and worries go away." Letty scoffed as she climbed into the bed, wrapping the sheets around her body. "Mia doesn't understand the life, V. All she knows is being perfect and what not. She doesn't understand the cars, the hard work, the pride that comes with it all. You can't let her beat you down because you don't fit into her life. But you fit into ours perfectly," she said.

He sighed once again and shifted in bed. "I know, Let. But you remember how it was before you and Dom got together. How hard you tried to make sure he noticed you. How hard you tried to make sure that he fell for you. It's the same thing. The only difference is that you and Dom grew up and got together. Me and Mia just grew up and I'm still a fucking screw up in her eyes."

Letty ran her eyes around the room. In the back of her mind she could hear all the times Mia was complaining about Vince. His room. His smell. How dirty he was. How his car was mediocre. How he was this and that. But yet, he was good enough to fuck. She felt her heart start to beat faster as she realized that all she wanted to do right now was go upstairs and beat the shit out of her. Let her know that Vince was the perfect guy. He was funny. He was sweet when he wanted to be. He was a hard worker. He was her best friend. Their brother. And that's when she realized, that he was all those things and more- but only with her.

_Interesting._

"Do you remember that one time you walked me home after Mr. T's BBQ that one summer? You remember how you kissed me?" She whispered, scared that the walls would hear, that the critters would talk. "What I remember specifically was you kissing me back. And then the next day, it was like it never happened," he replied.

She laughed softly, shaking the bed lightly. Letty thought back to that summer. When things were so different. They didn't have a care on their shoulders, they didn't need to. Mr. T took care of everything and everyone. It was how everything worked for years.

Summer was always her favorite season. It reminded her of growing up in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The heat, the cold drinks, the wind, the sun, the ocean. That's why she instantly loved California. It was the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico all rolled into one. It also helped that the Toretto lived right up the street.

Back then, it was a quite little neighborhood, full of hard working families. She could fondly remember Mrs. T. Whenever she thought about her, she thought about how nice she was to her and her mother. They were on the run from her father and Mrs. T made sure to check in on them every day. "No man deserves the right to put their hands on his family," she would always say, reassuring both of them that she would help them run and hide no matter what.

Little Letty loved the way she smelled, like soft, warm vanilla. She burned that smell in the back of her head when she came over to introduce herself. She remembered it clearly, how they hid behind the curtains and acted like no one was home, but Letty knew that she caught a glimpse of her mother's bruised face. She knew because no matter what, rain or shine, Mrs. T always left a plate of something for them to eat.

And it was always delicious.

Letty remembered when she met Mia for the first time. It had been months since she first moved to Echo Park. Her mother had gotten word from the island that her father had been arrested and that was what they were waiting for. To lead their normal lives.

That was the day that her mother opened the front door for the first time since they had moved there. That was the day that Letty walked down the street and saw Mia for the first time. It wasn't hard to find her. She just followed the sweet scent that led her straight to Mrs. Toretto.

She opened her arms and hugged her tightly, and then turned towards her mother and waved at her, happy to see her standing on the front porch for the first time. Mrs. Toretto introduced them and the rest was history.

The only thing Letty could remember about Mia at such at early age was that she wanted to be just like her. Mia was the epitome of everything Letty never had and everything that she wanted to be. She wanted the long brown hair, the sun kissed skin, the killer smile and the personality that made people melt in her soft, little hands. She wanted all of that and more.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't be like her. She couldn't get the perfect model body, the playful laugh or any of the other hundreds of things she tried to pick up from her. No matter how many nights she spent in front of the mirror, trying to be just like Mia.

And Letty just realized that's why she hated her.

She wanted to be just like her, but she didn't make the cut.

Every time she looked down on Vince, she felt like she was looking down on her. Every time she whined about car grease or sweat, Letty couldn't help but look at her nails and something inside of her would wish that she hadn't bitten them down to the stub. That she didn't have the smell of car grease permanently written into her DNA. That she was Mia.

"I miss Mexico, V. I miss not having to live up to anyone's expectations. I miss disappearing down the beach and just being me. Not having to worry about competing with anyone. I just want to be gone."

Vince's only response was a snore. Letty turned and glanced at him, drinking in the lines that lined his sleeping face. "Will you come with me, V? We'll just get on and drive. Leave this shit hole behind us," she whispered, hoping that he was in a real deep sleep and wasn't paying attention to her ramblings.

"Are you pregnant, Letty?"


	5. Times

**Chapter 5: **Times

She walked down the aisle of the first random store she found. She had made sure to come up with some bullshit excuse, anything to avoid suspicion. She drove around aimlessly and parked behind the mom and pop pharmacy, hoping that no one recognized her. She even went as far as to hide her face behind a big pair of sunglasses.

Letty was officially scared.

She had noticed, but she pushed the idea to the back of her mind. The only thing that scared her more than actually being pregnant was the fact that Vince was the only one that had noticed. Not even Dom, and she spent most of her day with him. One night out with Vince and he knew. _ I should've known, turning down free alcohol from V was too much. I'm surprised he didn't have a coronary._

She was over a month late, but she still had to keep up the appearance. The mood swings. The fighting. Anything to hide the fact that she was pregnant. She had done research, she wasn't experiencing any of the shit that women were supposed to feel, but then again, she was Letty- an anomaly.

Letty walked down the aisle, glancing around at all the items on the shelves. Avoiding everything and anything that looked like a pregnancy test. Something inside of her told her to run out of the store and forget about it, but if Vince picked up on it, it was just a matter of time before someone else did.

She sighed, deciding to man up and just do the damn thing. _Pick up the box and a magazine. Go to the register. Pay. Ask where the bathroom is. Take the damn test. Find out you're not pregnant. Then go home and get shitfaced. End of fucking story, Nicolette. _And as hard as she tried, she couldn't force herself to move.

It was like the world was moving slowly around her and her heart was trying to crawl up her throat. She glanced down at the magazine in her hand and realized that all she needed was to pick up one of the boxes right in front of her face. _Come on, Letty. You came this far. There's no going back._

As she reached up and wrapped her fingers around a box she was sure she had seen on a commercial once, she was approached by someone. Letty pulled her hand back and turned with a scowl that would scare off grizzly bears, but it instantly disappeared when her heart started to beat a hundred miles a minute.

Jackie.

_Shit, I knew I should've driven farther away from town._

"Congratulations or good luck?" She said, motioning to the pregnancy test, a small smile on her face.

"We're about to find out," Letty muttered, pushing her sunglasses up to the top of her face. And that's when Letty's mind wandered off to a time not too long ago- high school.

_The good times._

It was the usual for the team. Meet outside in front of the building for Dom to drive them all home. He was the only one with a car at the time, and he made sure to rub it in their faces every chance he got. But today was different, today he wasn't rubbing it in their faces, he was rubbing it in her face. That girl no one knew. The girl that hung in the shadows. The one with the hand me down clothes that were either too big or too small. The one with the hunched shoulders and small eyes. The one with all the scars that lined her body.

It was when they didn't know anything but themselves. When they were full of their own bullshit. When they only hung out with the in crowd and didn't even bother acknowledging any one else. They were teenagers. Full of American spirit, or so they thought.

And now here she was…. All grown up.

"Well, see you around," Jackie said, before turning on her heel and disappearing down the next aisle.

Letty pulled her hand back from the pregnancy test and sighed. She shook her head softly before ditching the magazine and exiting the store. She ran towards her car and waited until she got inside before beginning to cry.

It was what she always did when shit got to be too much for her. She would cry behind the tinted windows, because the world couldn't see how human she was. It didn't matter to her, no one could see how vulnerable she really was. How much they all hurt her. They only saw the front she put up for them. The one that didn't give a fuck. The one that would rather fight then to actually let you see her cry.

_How can I have this baby? Look at how horrible we all are!_

She turned her car on and slipped her sunglasses back on before peeling out of her parking space and roaring through town. Windows down. Hair blowing in the wind. Music blasting. Just how she always did.

_During the bad times._

"I figured out where I know that Jackie chick from. She was that girl back in high school Mia and Dom used to fuck around with," Letty said, passing the plate of mashed potatoes to Leon. She watched as Vince choked on his beer, a crazed look on his face. "That's her?!?!" He asked. She nodded, serving herself some salad.

"Whatever. That girl deserved it. She was so weird. I only fucked with her because she needed to be aware of the fact that she disgusted everyone," Mia said.

Dom glared at Mia, not believing that those words just left her mouth. "What the heck, Mi? We were dumb kids back then. We thought we were better than everyone else and it turns out we're just like the rest of them."

She shook her head and took a sip of her Snapple. "Dom, we are better. No matter what."

Everyone at the table rolled their eyes, tired of having the same conversation with Mia. She always thought they were better than everyone else. "Well, clearly Brian didn't think so," Letty said quietly, reaching for a piece of chicken.

The entire table froze and looked towards Mia for a reaction. She sat frozen in her chair, feeling her face turning bright red. Vince broke the silence with a good hearted laugh, his face turning bright red also. Within seconds, Mia had lunged across the table for Letty, but Vince came between them.

He shoved Mia back in her chair and laughed right in her face. "Sit the fuck down," he barked, getting back into his seat. Dom slammed his fork down and ran a hand over his head, breathing deeply. He stood up from the table so fast, that his chair went flying backwards. He glared at Vince, who just kept on eating dinner.

As V felt eyes boring into him, he lifted his head and dropped his fork. "We got a problem?" He asked, staring up at Dom. Dom breathed deeply and shook his head, realizing that he shouldn't take sides between his best friend, his sister and his girlfriend. He simply exited the room and disappeared back into the garage.

The rest of the team sat at the table in bewilderment. V was the only one that continued to eat, realizing that he shouldn't waste food. He never wasted food. Never.

_Especially not during the rough times._

After dinner, the team minus Mia and Dom, found themselves in the living room, watching an old rerun of America's Most Wanted. "I'm gonna go get changed for the races. So don't come down to your room for like twenty minutes," Letty said, before disappearing down into the basement.

"HAHA! Dom's gonna bitch that everyone except you isn't ready," Jesse said, before following Letty down in to the basement to get ready also. "Dude, just go knock on the door and tell her to throw you some clothes or something. If you're gonna be sleeping in the same room, then you need to work out how ya'll gonna get changed and shit," Leon said.

V nodded and followed Leon towards the basement, realizing that he was in enough deep shit with Dom already. He needed to be the first one up and ready for the races if he wanted to race tonight. As he walked through the kitchen to get to the basement stairs, he found Mia glaring at him, a slick smile on her face.

He flipped her off before heading into the dark abyss that he called home- the basement. He found his bedroom door open and Letty pacing. "What's up? I thought you would've been in the shower already," he said, stepping into the room.

Letty stepped right in front of him, a worried look on her face. "What happened? Did you finally confirm that you're pregnant?" She shook her head and grabbed on to his shoulders. "Whatever you do. Don't flip out, V. Please, don't do something stupid. I know you, V. I know you're gonna want to kill someone," she whispered.

"Letty, what is it? Is it Dom? Just fucking tell me already."

She stepped aside and felt her heart drop as V's face fell. Letty could've sworn she heard his heart breaking as he saw what she was trying to hide. What she had found when she walked into the room. What she had stepped in front of to try and calm him down.

His guitar.

_The one that was with him through the good and the bad times._

The thing that nobody knew about Vince was that he was the way he was because of his father. And the only good thing that his father had ever taught him, was to play a guitar. And from that stemmed his fascinations with them. From that stemmed the only good memory he had of his childhood. Staying up late at night with his father, strumming on the porch, realizing that tomorrow morning he would be gone for days, if not weeks. That was how he loved himself. How he loved others. Through his guitar.

And now the only thing he had ever received from his father was in shambles. Someone had taken a knife to it. It was lying on the floor in pieces. Broken apart, limb by limb. Destroyed.

Like he was.

"Get out," he said, his body shaking.

Letty stepped towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged her off and shook his head.

"Get the fuck out, Letty," he whispered, his voice cracking.

She walked away, closing the softly behind her.


	6. No One

**Chapter 6**: No One

Everyone tried to buy his façade. That everything was okay. But everyone knew when they heard the noise of furniture and glass breaking that everything wasn't okay. They knew it even better when they rushed downstairs and found Letty crying quietly in front of his bedroom door. Everyone except Mia that is.

No one said anything, knowing that the smallest thing would set him off. Knowing that all it would take would be one look, one word, and then all hell would break loose. And above all, everyone knew that Mia was to blame. And no one said anything.

Simply because the only thing that they knew that would make V feel better was killing her, but Dom wouldn't allow that. Everyone just steered clear of her as they prepared for the races.

No one said anything when they climbed into their cars and V broke apart from the regular V formation and drove off, speeding and breaking as many traffic laws as he could.

_No one said one god damn thing._

But they knew. And so they steered clear, and watched. They waited and watched for Vince to lose his cool. Thirty minutes into the races, he did. Just like expected. One wrong look from some punk, and V was all over him. Before much damage could be done, Leon screamed that there were cops on their way over the large crowd that was surging around Vince and the punk.

With one fierce look, V backed away from the punk and headed for his car, knowing that he had mere seconds to disappear before the cops slapped cuffs on him. He looked around and saw Letty and Jesse heading for their cars and decided that it was all clear for him to leave.

Vince hopped into his and sped off, weaving through the crowd of wild people and cars trying to evade an arrest. He watched as everyone headed for the main road and so he turned down one of the warehouse's alleyways, knowing better than that. The cops would already be there by the time they all pulled out and that would result in high speed chases. He wasn't up for that tonight.

As he turned into the alleyway he spotted a pair of high heels and never ending legs that were screaming his name. He pulled up to them and rolled his window down, licking his lips and getting ready for whatever the night held in store for him.

"Hey. Need a ride?" He said, glancing into the rearview mirror as he heard sirens getting closer. The girl turned towards him and smiled. "Vince, right? You don't know how happy I am that it's you. I lost Hector in all the madness."

V did a double take as he recognized the girl. Jackie. "Come on, get in before the cops are up our asses," he said, unlocking the door from the driver's door panel. She ran around the car and got in, strapping herself in.

Vince stepped on the gas and drove through the back alleyways until they hit another main road. In his rearview mirror he could see cops pulling over cars, surely enough to give them a hard time. He sped up and raced off towards the highway, putting distance between him and the pigs.

"Thanks a lot. I for sure would've been a goner."

"No problem. You should start thinking about bringing your ride down when you go to races. Shit like this doesn't happen often, but when it does, the cops come in full force," he said, putting on a soft rock CD.

"See that's the problem, I don't have a car. So Hector usually picks me up and drives me down here."

"I see. How do you get around town, then? Especially in this heat."

She motioned to her legs and chuckled. "How do you think I got these? Lots of walking and when it gets too hot to handle, I catch the bus," she replied.

Vince nodded and switched lanes, heading for the exit. "This is a nice car, man. Real sexy," she purred, running her hands over the leather dashboard. He cocked an eyebrow and chuckled. "She's my baby," he replied, driving towards the neighborhood.

"What's her name? Something real crazy, I bet."

"Amelia, my mom's name."

"Good name. Good car. I bet she's one hell of a woman."

V shrugged in his seat and continued to drive. "She was," he replied. Jackie froze, realizing that she hit a touchy note. "I remember you back in high school. You always wore those damn tanktops. Always. And there was always two of them. Layered. You out grew that phase huh?" She asked, motioning to his long sleeve shirt.

V glanced down to his long sleeve shirt and scowled. "And then some," he replied, pulling into to the fort's driveway. "So this is the infamous Toretto parties," she said, taking in all the people filling into the house. She climbed out of the car and stood by the door, hesitating going in. Vince turned towards her as he made his way to the house and cocked an eyebrow. "What's up? You not coming in?"

She rolled her neck out and sighed. "If I remember correctly, the Torettos and I never got along very well back in the day," she said, closing the car's door. V turned the car alarm on and motioned towards the house. "You're here with me. If someone gives you trouble, direct them towards me. I'll handle it and them," he said, holding out a hand towards her.

She walked around the car and took his hand, smiling awkwardly as he dragged her into the house and through the throng of people. "Hey, I see Hector over there. I'm gonna go kick his ass for ditching me," she said, walking off towards the other side of the room. Vince nodded and headed towards the kitchen, reaching into the fridge and pulling out two Corona bottles.

"What is she doing here?" Mia spat out, walking into the kitchen and leaning against the door frame, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not being you," he spat out, brushing past her and not giving her another thought.

And that's when the idea presented itself.

Vince knew that Mia was jealous of Jackie. They could all tell since that night they met at the races. She kept trying out do her, but no matter how hard she tried, Jackie came out on top always. This was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up.

He had to make Jackie fall for him. Show Mia that her trash was Jackie's treasure. Show her that he wasn't everything that she said. He wasn't a loser. He could get any girl he wanted.

And he knew that he could do it.

While making Mia's life a living hell.

_And no one knew what was going through his head._

Vince walked into the living room and found Jackie dancing in the middle of the room with some racer chaser he had seen drooling all over Leon once. As she spotted him, she broke away from the girl and made her way through the crowd towards him. She grabbed a beer bottle from his hand and took a long gulp, fanning her face with her other hand.

"You seem type of hot right now," Vince said, sarcastically, taking a swig from his own beer bottle."Yeah, you wanna go outside for a few?" She said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. He nodded and led the way to the back porch, leaning against the railing.

Jackie opted to lean against the house and smirked at him. "So this is how the infamous Toretto parties are? Lots of booze, drunk bitches and one hot ass house," she said.

"Yeah, pretty much. Three or two times a week. This is what we do."

"What do you do when you're not out racing or partying?"

V shrugged, not knowing if he should get into details. "I work at the garage Dom owns." _Great way to start off a relationship, with lies. Well, it's better than telling her that I pull side jobs still. Hey, I'm Vince. I like long walks with a bucket full of fried chicken, I hate Mia and I rob moving trucks to pay for my chicken addiction._

"Nice. Hard working man."

"So how's the business going?"

"Good. Listen, I don't want to start any problems. But if you think Mia's gonna flip shit because you brought me here and then spent the entire night out here with me, you should go back inside."

V scoffed and shook his head. "Me and Mia aren't together. That was a onetime mistake. Plus, Mia isn't very fond of you, so she's gonna flip shit anyways."

Jackie nodded and continued to drink her beer.

"So I'm spending the entire night out here with you, huh?"

He couldn't help the smirk that was on his face. He was drinking her in. She was his type of girl. Long, dark hair that fell down her back in waves, dimples that were begging to be kissed and tattooed sleeves that ran up and down her both her entire arms. Based on looks, he was already in love with her.

"Don't get too cocky, mister. You're just looking for trouble in all the wrong places," she replied.

He laughed. _And they say I'm cocky._

"So is it true what they say?" She asked.

Vince tilted his head to the side and looked up at her with a questioning look.

"About you. The rest of your team. The heists. What happened to you. Why you where long sleeve shirts in public."

He shook his head and absentmindedly began to pull down on the ends of his sleeves, like as if making them longer would hide his scars and his nervousness.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"The people talk, V. They all know."

"They know NOTHING!" He said, a little more loud than he meant to, but that didn't make Jackie rethink her current position.

"Come on, I'll show you mines, if you show me yours," she whispered, a serious look on her face.

Vince scowled and pushed away from the railing, heading towards the door. She reached out and turned him around, a small smile still on her face. Jackie reached down and grabbed on to the hem of her shirt, sliding it up until her entire stomach was exposed.

She turned towards the side and showed V her back and her stomach. From the faint light coming from within the house, he could see the lines that reminded him of the ones that he cried over. The ones that he tried to hide every day. The ones that he regretted. The ones that he wished he would die over.

_And no one knew the bond the two had formed that night. _

_No one knew._

He sighed softly and placed his beer bottle down. Vince reached over and pulled his shirt up, revealing what he had tried so desperately to hide. Every time he had brought someone home, he made sure the room was dark and stayed that way. In the morning when everything was said and done, he didn't care. The girl had served her purpose. He no longer cared then, but he knew that word travelled. That girls gossiped, so he wasn't surprised when Jackie had asked him about the scars.

But something inside of V stirred. Something inside of him told him to stop hiding. _If this girl doesn't care about her scars, then why should I? _

"Beautiful," she whispered, running her hands over his arm and side. He stepped back, shocked at her reaction. Jackie smirked at him and hopped in place. "I gotta go use the bathroom. See you inside?" She asked, nodding towards the door.

V nodded and watched as she ran inside the house. He wasn't surprised when Mia appeared in the doorway, a smug look on her face. "Finally scared her off, huh?" She said, a Snapple in her hand.

Vince put his shirt back on and picked up his beer bottle before walking right up to Mia and smirking. He didn't say anything, just walked away; knowing that not responding to her comment would drive her up the walls.


	7. Blame

**Chapter 7: **Blame

Mia didn't know what was going on and she didn't want to. She turned a blind eye to everything that went on around her. Last time around, it came in handy, the police couldn't prosecute her for something she didn't even know was going on. She just kept smiling and accepting the money Dom kept giving her. Knowing very well that they weren't pulling in that much money on their own.

She didn't ask any questions- until now that was. And even now, she still wasn't asking, but she was taking notes. On everything and everything. By now, Mia had everything and everyone planned out. She knew who Dom was getting the information from. She knew exactly how they did it. How it was Dom climbing on to the trucks now. How Vince was too much of a pussy to do it himself anymore. How Letty still kept doing stupid tricks. How they were now driving different cars. Like as if no one would guess it was them.

Then again, they had been getting away with it this far. Until the next cop came around.

And that's what scared Mia the most. Another cop in their home. Another cop in their ranks. And this time it wouldn't be her that they could blame. It would be V.

_They could blame V._

She made breakfast like she did everyday, but this time she made sure Dom go the message. _We need to talk_. She needed to tell him that something wasn't right. That something was different. And this time it wasn't her fault.

"Why the secrecy, Mi?" Dom whispered, as they stood on the side of the house.

Mia looked around to make sure no one was around and turned towards him, a serious look on her face. "This new chick. The one Vince brought back from the races last night. There's something off about her. She's a cop, Dom. I know it."

And that's all Dom needed to hear. That's all he needed to be said in order to scare the living shit out of him. That's all he needed. Everything had been going good so far. The money was practically falling in their laps. Nobody was sniffing around. Everything was good. Until now.

Mia fought hard to keep the smile from sliding on to her face. She almost lost it when she saw the vein in Dom's neck start to throb. But as soon as Dom turned and headed inside the house, she couldn't help but double over in laughter.

Her plan had worked.

_And now they can blame V._

"This chick. Hector's cousin. What do you know about her?" Dom said, stepping inside Vince's room. He found Vince stretched out on his bed, reading a car magazine. He shrugged and focused back on the magazine, figuring the conversation was over.

"I'm getting a bad vibe from her man. She could be a cop for all we know."

Vince threw the magazine to the other side of the bed and stood up, rolling his neck out.

"Why? Because I brought her home from the races instead of you?"

"Just check her out, will you? We fucked up once because we didn't listen to you. We don't need or want a repeat of that shit again!"

"Did Mia put you up to this? Your fucking sister is crazy!"

"Vince. Check her out. Or I will. And it won't be pretty if I have to do it."

And with that Dom left the room, leaving Vince staring a hole into the back of his head. It didn't matter was Dom said to V. He could smell a cop a mile away and Jackie was no cop. _She can't be a cop! She doesn't act like one. She's Hector's cousin. She's not a cop. Mia needs to stop talking shit. Dom needs to get his head out of his ass._

But it didn't matter. The idea was now in Vince's head. The idea had been planted and now it would grow. Into one big conspiracy that would drive him mad, unless he checked her out.

_He blamed Mia._

"Did you check her out?"

"She's not a cop. I followed her the entire day. She woke up. Got breakfast at the local diner. Went to work. Spent the entire day there. Went back to the diner for dinner. Home to her shitty apartment. She spent the entire night there sewing lace onto some fucking hot pink shit. Then she went to bed after doing thirty minutes on her treadmill. Waste of my fucking day!"

"I had Jesse check her out. She's clean. Squeaky clean. Too clean."

"She's not a cop. She's Hector's fucking cousin! He wouldn't introduce us to somebody if he didn't think they were legit."

"We thought Spilner was on our side of things."

"Spilner came the fuck out of nowhere. This chick is Hector's cousin. We went to high school with her. She just didn't show up out of nowhere."

"We can't be too careful."

"She's not a cop."

"Do me a favor. Take a page out of Spilner's book. Make this chick fall. Hard."

"What?"

"We'll lay low until then. When you're not at the garage, you're working this girl. From every angle."

_And now they would all blame him._

_Especially her._

Letty shook her head and sighed. "It's a good plan, V. That's how we got caught up. Just don't go falling for this chica. We still don't know her from a hole in the wall," she said, snuggling into bed.

She was still living in Vince's room. No matter how hard Dom tried to patch things up, she wouldn't give him the time of day. It's not that she didn't want to, but every time she approached him, her throat would close. And no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't get those words out of her mouth, she still couldn't confirm or deny. She was still scared and lost.

"I just gotta think up a way to get into the picture. I just need an in. Something that won't make me look suspicious," V replied, from his position on the floor. "Throw me some cash tomorrow and I'll get you the in you need sometime this week, just don't make any plans for Saturday."

"Aight," he replied, reaching underneath the bed and pulling out a small brown paper bag. He shoved it Letty's way and scowled. "Stop acting like it'll go away on it's own. You're starting to show," he whispered.

She sat up in bed and matched his scowl, reaching for the bag. "I'm scared, V. What if I'm pregnant? What the fuck am I supposed to do then?" He shrugged and sat up also, facing her.

"You got two options. You have the kid or you get rid of it, Let. I can't tell you what to do, it's all up to you. Ultimately, this will be your baby to care for. Ultimately, this is your decision."

" We rob trucks and race for a living. I know nothing about raising a baby. What I do know consists of cars and more cars. That's it. Nothing in my resume will help raise a baby. Jesse can't google how to raise a child in mechanic terms."

"You're babbling, Letty. Just go and take the damn test. Then you can freak out all you want."

She groaned and climbed out of the bed, heading for the bathroom. Vince said a silent prayer, realizing that she was right. They just got back from being on the run. They were still robbing trucks. They were still criminals. They were still being the team.

He knew how Letty felt about the team ever since the heists went wrong. He knew that her eyes were open. She was seeing things differently and she didn't like any of it. V knew about her secret bank accounts. How she was working like a slave and saving money. Saving and planning to get away from it all. To get away from them. To get away from him.

By the time Letty had returned from the bathroom, V had turned off the bedroom light and settled in for the night. The soft pitter patter of her bare feet against the hard floor woke him as she entered the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

"So?"

"It's negative. I'm not pregnant, thank God."

"Nice."

If the lights hadn't been off, he would've seen the truth. It was written all over her face. That was something that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't have been able to hide from any one, let alone V.

_And he would blame her._

_And she would blame herself also._

Letty walked into the shop, a small scowl in her face. She was instantly uneased by her surroundings. The bright colors. The smiling people. This was not her scene.

"Can I help you with anything?" A rather ordinary woman said to her. She was within inches from Letty's face, a shit eating smile on her face. Her voice was high pitched and she could hardly stand still. Her name tag read Samantha, but her body language read one too many cups of coffee before work.

Letty took a step back, putting some distance between her and the woman, the one that reminded her of Jesse. "I'm looking for Jackie," she said, as sultry as ever. Samantha nodded and motioned to the back of the store. "She's right back there setting up one of the new displays."

Letty smiled weakly and headed for the back of the store, weaving through all the stick figure mannequins and the tall displays of clothing. She found Jackie wrestling with a mannequin trying to get a barely there dress on her.

She watched as Jackie cursed, struggling to pull the waist of the dress down. She sighed and threw the mannequin on the ground, before giving it a swift kick, it's head popping off. "Nice. I like your style," Letty said, leaning against one of the tables. Jackie turned around, her face red at being caught acting so unprofessional.

"You gotta do what you gotta do," she said, walking over to her, a smile on her face. "Hey, what brings you to this side of the neighborhood?"

Letty shrugged and glanced around the store. "Actually, you do. I wanna break some necks at the races tonight. The only other female I know is Dom's sister and the racer chaser that is always on his dick," she replied.

Jackie nodded and chuckled. "Lemme guess. Trouble in paradise, and Mia's too much of a goody two shoes to dress like and you're definitely not trying to dress like a skank."

"I admit it, you got style, chica. Would you mind sharing?" Letty said, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out the wad of cash Vince gave her this morning.

"Your money isn't good here, boo. I'll take you on pro bono."

"Nice. What do I owe the pleasure to?"

Jackie shrugged and waved her hands in the air. "I dunno. There's just something about you," she replied. Letty nodded and stretched her hand out, a smirk on her face. "Alright. Fine, you don't charge me, but we go to the beach on Saturday. My treat. I need some time away from the house. We'll make it a girls day out," she said.

Jackie cocked her head to the side and smiled. She placed her hand in Letty's and winked. "Now, do you trust me? Because I'm gonna turn your world inside out and Dom is gonna shit himself," she said, dragging Letty towards the dressing rooms.

Two hours later Letty entered the house, several shopping bags in tow. She knew Dom would be shitting bricks by now. She was late. Dinner was probably over by now. The team was probably getting ready for the races. Which meant that she would have to work twice as fast and hard. She would have to try to remember all the things Jackie had taught her over the last several hours in mere minutes.

She couldn't ask Mia for any help. She had to do this on her own. She had to prove to herself that she could do this. Clothes, makeup and hair was something that she never concerned herself with before. She didn't need to. All she needed was coveralls, work shirt and boots to work at the garage. That's all she ever needed in her closet.

But Letty was all about making moves right now. Making moves and making changes. _I gotta figure out this life shit on my own. I won't be in Dom and Mia's shadow forever. I have to stand on my own two feet. Show the both of them that I don't need them. I don't need anybody._

She was glad that when she got downstairs to the basement, Vince wasn't there. After a quick shower, Letty began to talk herself through the entire process. The makeup, the hair. She repeated what she could remember from Jackie's mini class this afternoon in her shop. The rest she remembered from watching Mia do it to herself for so many years.

With the last flick of her mascara, she rushed out the door, she wanted to be the first one out. The first one in her car. She didn't want anyone to see her makeover until she got to the races. Until she could make her big debut. Shock them all at once.

She couldn't wait to see their faces.

Especially Dom's.

_You couldn't blame her._

Letty didn't understand what her sudden fascination with Dom was. She felt the bond between them fading, but the weaker it got, the more she wanted to make sure that he missed her. The more she wanted him to know that he'll never find someone like her. That no matter how many skanks he had and lied to her about, she would always be the one he really wanted. The one he had lost. His white pony.

And as the team sped through the streets towards the races, her heart sped up at the idea of having Dom lusting after. At the idea of being the one thing he wanted, but couldn't have. She laughed.

They pulled into the warehouses in their usual V formation. They parked and the crowd surrounded them like usually. They all ate it up, everyone except Dom. As he turned to glance at Letty, he did a double take.

Letty stepped out of her car, a shit eating grin on her face. She could feel the eyes, the drools, the focus on her. And she loved it.

_Could you blame her?_

She was currently clad in a pair of skin tight, dark blue, low riding jeans and a pair of gold 5 inch pumps that matched her big gold hoops, bracelets and rings. Her hair was pin straight and flowing down her back, while her tight white halter top made her skin glow. Letty had figured out what she had found to be the complicated process of blending eye shadows and had managed to blend her browns and golds into a combination that resembled what Jackie had shown her to do.

It didn't matter. She was there. She was the center of everyone's world right now. Especially Dom. She turned towards him and found him staring at her, his mouth slack.

_Could you blame him?_

Mission accomplished.


	8. Crazy

**Chapter 8: **Crazy

Letty felt bad. Not because she had downed half a bottle of tequila with some guy she met at the races. Not because her and Dom got into a fight last night. Something about her not being single and free to mingle with guys at the races. Not because she was starving. Not because she kept Vince's money since she didn't have to pay for the clothes. Not because she was pregnant and told Vince that she wasn't. Not because she was having an abortion.

But because she didn't really believe that Jackie was a cop. And she was currently on her way to setting her up for Vince. So that he could get into her world and fuck it up. Just like Brian did to them.

She shoved a pair of sunglasses on to her face as she pulled up to the address that Jackie had given her. She smiled as Jackie came out of the apartment building, on time. She climbed into the car and threw her tote bag into the backseat. Letty chuckled and pulled away from the curb.

"What's so funny?" Jackie asked, strapping herself in.

Letty motioned to their outfits and pulled onto the highway. "We're walking twins," she said. Jackie glanced down to her current attire and couldn't help but smirk. She was right. They were both dressed in low riding board shorts, flip flops and triangle tops. And let's not forget, they were both wearing big black sunglasses on their faces.

"Rough night, huh?" Jackie said.

"Rough wouldn't be the right word for it. More like a disaster."

"Hmm.. Interesting. I thought the clothes would've done the trick."

"Oh yeah, they did. Except Dom got pissy because I was getting all the attention, from everybody. Even the skanks were all over my ass."

Jackie laughed and shook her head. "That's crazy. Guess I'm too good for your own good."

"Hey. I know I said that it would be a girl's day out, but Mia's been riding V really hard about everything. I don't wanna leave him at home with her. Do you mind if he comes with?"

"The more the merrier, boo. Is everything okay with them two?"

Letty shrugged, trying to come up with a sufficient response. "Depends what your definition of okay is."

"Ahh.. There's a lot of history there isn't there?"

"V was in love with Mia ever since they met back in like the third grade. Mia is only into boys if they have the right car, the right money, the right family background. The whole nine yards. Vince never really fit into what she wanted. Except a couple of summers ago, this guy came along. Swept Mia right off her feet. This guy, was just like V. Wrong side of the tracks. She fell for him, made sure she rubbed it in his face every chance he got. The guy screwed her over. So she decides to keep slumming it, but this time it's with V. But even then, she kept talking shit about him. He's not this, he's not that. They finally broke it off but the damage is done. She seriously fucked up his self esteem. He's not the same V I know from back in the day. Shit's just really crazy right now."

Jackie nodded and listened to Letty fill her in about Vince's background with Mia. _That explains why he hides his scars. He's ashamed._ "Mia's still up to her old tricks, I see. I remember she always used to get at me about my clothes, my hair. Everything."

"You sound like, V."

She laughed and sighed. "Has anyone bothered to put her in her place yet?" Letty snickered, as she pulled the car into her neighborhood. "Oh I have. Several times now. But no matter how hard I kick her ass, she still keeps that fucking smug little look on her face. She's lucky V didn't put her through a fucking wall when she destroyed his guitar."

"What?"

"Yep. Just imagine her torching your store. That's the equivalent of her destroying Vince's guitar."

Jackie shook her head and stared out the window as Letty pulled into the driveway. "Hey, we're gonna ride with V in his car since it's bigger and there's no point in taking two cars. Just don't say nothing about what I told you. He gets very testy about his shit," Letty said, shutting her car off.

Jackie nodded and reached into the backseat, grabbing her bag. "To the grave it goes," she said, exiting the car. As the girls exited the car, Vince exited the house with grocery bags full of food in tow. And not too far behind, emerged Leon and Jesse with bags in tow also- dressed in their board shorts.

"What the fuck, V?" Letty said, turning the alarm on her car on. He shrugged and placed the grocery bags in the trunk of his car. "They saw me with the food and started asking questions. Next thing I know, they're downstairs changing. And I pretty much can't tell them not to get in there car and follow us simply because it's a public beach, Let. So if we leave before Dom and Mia find out, we'll be fine."

Letty groaned and shook her head. "I'll drive!" Jesse yelled, passing his grocery bag to Jackie and running off towards his car. "The fuck you will," Leon said, throwing his bag towards Letty, making his way over to Jesse.

They watched as Leon and Jesse wrestled each other or to the ground, the winner gets to drive his car down to the beach. "Does this always happen?" Jackie asked, walking over to Vince and handing him the bag. "Every God damn time," Letty mumbled, walking over to the Vince's car. "We usually have to leave 15 minutes ahead of time everywhere we go. Because they will fight over any little thing," V said, shutting his trunk.

"Fucking testosterone," Letty spat out.

"Brothers," Vince said.

"Crazy," Jackie said, a smirk on her face.

Letty put her fingers in her mouth and pulled a high, pitched whistle. The boys drew apart, their faces red and chests rising and falling rapidly. "Do you guys wanna pull your dicks out and measure them while you're at it?" She barked, walking into the house and retrieving her small duffel bag.

The boys groaned and shook hands, realizing that if they didn't want to deal with a very pissed of Letty, then they should handle their shit. "You can drive, that way I don't need to spend any money on gas," Jesse said, motioning to Leon's skyline. "Fuck that, you drive," Leon said, heading towards the Jetta.

"For Christ's sake! Leon fucking drive!" Vince said, walking towards the driver side door of his car. They all caught the hint and decided to drop the issue, knowing that Vince wasn't known for being patient. When he was ready to go, he would go. With or without them.

Jackie reached for the backseat door and was shoved to the side by Letty. "I like to sit in the backseat. Let's me catch up on sleep," she said, climbing in. Jackie shrugged and looked over her shoulder, glancing back at Leon and Jesse, who were currently backing out of the driveway. She climbed into the front seat and strapped herself in.

Her hand instantly flew to the door handle, grabbing on for dear life. Vince sped out of his parking spot, following Leon down the street. "You're not used to this, huh?" V said, pulling a hard right, his tires squealing. He glanced at her and laughed. She shook her head and held on for dear life.

"Um.. Not so much. Hector drives fast, but not usually this fast. On a road full of cars. Many cars," she said, watching as Vince and Leon weaved through traffic. "You haven't seen nothing yet. Wait 'til we get on the highway. That's when shit gets real crazy," he replied.

Jackie chuckled and shook her head. "Yeah, I don't think I should be sitting up here then. I could shit myself any second now," she said. V glanced in his rearview mirror and grinned. "Well, you're screwed. Letty's out cold and I wouldn't suggest waking her up. She gets rather testy."

She turned around in her seat and found that Letty was actually asleep. She was currently using her duffel bag as a mock pillow and was well on her way to dream land. "How the hell did she fall asleep so fast?" She asked, turning back around and facing forward.

V shrugged. "If she's not driving. She's asleep. And when she's asleep, she's dead to the world. We could turn on a blender with a screeching cat inside of it in here and she won't even budge, let alone wake up," he said.

She laughed. "That's some crazy shit right there."

A beeping sound went off and Vince reached into the cup holder. He pulled out a walkie talkie and grinned. "Speak," he said, releasing the button when he was done. "We're having a debate over here. I need a to clarify something for me. Put the hot sexxy thang next to you on," Leon's voice said, coming in through the walkie.

V smirked and handed her the walkie talkie. Jackie chuckled and grabbed the walkie, making sure to press on the button how she had seen V do. "Hey, hun. What's going on?"

"Our sweet little innocent Jesse here thinks that this new girl he's dating is only after his ride, the money he doesn't have and the puberty he hopes to hit soon. I'm telling him to kick her to the curb, but the boy seems to have fallen in love. What do you think he should do?"

She shrugged and cocked her head to the side. "He should tell her that his car is acting up and that he might have to sell it the junkyard. Then play up the fact that he can't afford a new one. Make her walk to places for a few days. If she's okay with it, then she's golden. If not, tell that bitch to kick rocks."

Laughter was the only response she received. "Did I pass whatever test they were putting me up to?" She asked, handing the walkie over to Vince. "How did you know?"

Jackie smiled and hit and settled into her seat. "I grew up with five brothers and three male cousins in a three bedroom house, including Hector. I know a thing or two about guys," she said.

He nodded and continued to drive recklessly, following Leon's lead through the traffic. "I'm surprised you barely survived."

"It wasn't that bad. We looked out for each other. We were all we had. High school with Dom and Mia was ten times worse than living with them. "

"Listen, we're really sorry about that. We were idiots back then. If we had known you were Hector's cousin, we wouldn't have fucked with you like that."

"It's crazy, but it turns out that being a fly on the wall made me stronger, Vince. I wouldn't be where or who I am without you guys dogging me every day."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not okay, but it's in the past. Clearly everyone outgrew that fucked up phase of their lives."

"Everyone except Mia."

"Yeah, I could tell when Hector introduced us."

"She's just jealous of you."

"Jealous of what? Look at who her friends are. Who her family is. Look at what she's doing with her life. She's Mia Toretto. She's perfection."

V rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm so tired of hearing that speech from her. All she talks about is how perfect she is. But she's jealous of you because you're you. You have your own thing going on. She's been in school for ages. Still hasn't done shit with her life. She secretly wishes she were you."

"Yeah, well I used to wish I was Mia. Now, not so much."

"You'll never be like her. You're too hot for that."

Jackie cleared her throat and snickered. "You think I'm hot?"

V could feel his face turning bright red as he realized what had just come out of his mouth. "Look, we're here," he said, trying to change the subject. Jackie shook her head and laughed. "Smooth," she said, as he pulled into the beach's parking lot. By the time V had parked, Leon and Jesse were already climbing out of their car.

"I'll go get the grill started," Leon said, grabbing some bags out of his trunk and heading down to the shore. They all grabbed their gear and some grocery bags before following Leon down to the beach. After setting up and getting some food on the grill, Letty and Vince found themselves laying down on a beach blanket, staring down as Jackie, Leon and Jesse chased each other down the shore.

"You know, you can take your shirt off," Letty said, as she pulled off her shorts and stretched out to tan. V absent mindedly ran his hand up and down his arm, feeling the raised skin and instantly cringing. "I wished you would've picked another thing to do. You know I hate walking around without a shirt on," he said, a scowl on his face.

"Stop being such a pussy, V. Eventually you need to be comfortable in your own skin. You told me that she showed you her scars. Look at her. She's running around in that small ass bikini. She clearly don't give a shit. Neither should you. Now strip and go down there and sweep the bitch off her fucking feet before Dom tears you a new one for brining her around when she turns out to be a cop."

"What the fuck is eating you?" V spat out, standing up and staring down at her. "I want to be fucking alone. I didn't set you up with her so that you could sit here and stare at her because your being too much of a pussy to go down there and show her what you're made of. That's not the V I know. That's not the V that has probably fucked all the tail in Echo Park. Now go over there and get in her pants."

V growled and turned around, heading for the grill.

_Finally, I get some peace and quiet. Some time to think about it all. About what I'm gonna do come Monday. 10:30 AM. Shit, time's running out. Eventually I'm gonna need to make a final decision. Do I do it, or not? Can I go through with it? Can I lie to everyone's face and continue my lie of a dental appointment, knowing fully well that I'm going to the abortion clinic? Can I look in V's face and tell him that I had an abortion? _

Letty figured that she was strong, she had no other choice. She knew what her options were. She understood them clearly, but the fear was too strong. It took her an hour of arguing with herself to even muster up the courage to dial those numbers and make that appointment. The courage that would eventually lead her to making some of the biggest mistakes of her life. The courage that would never fail her, until the end that was.

She rubbed suntan lotion on her legs and watched as Vince continued to hang out around the grill, trying not to stand out in his t-shirt and board shirts, trying not to be obvious that he clearly didn't want to be there.

_Better than being at the fucking house with Mia bitching about everything and Dom bitching about Jackie. Fuck! How the hell am I gonna make this chick fall in love with me? How the hell did Brian do it? Tuna. Fuck that! Jackie better have another dish to make me. I'm not fucking eating tuna. Last time I had Mia's tuna, I spent five hours in the emergency room. I know, I'll let them do the rest. I'll hang back today and let her hang with the guys. That's how Brian did. He charmed Dom and the guys. Then moved in for the kill._

By the time Vince had finished his little speech about how to go about screwing Jackie over, the burgers and hot dogs were done. He moved the food to a plate and bellowed for them to come and get it. He watched as Jackie shoved Jesse into the ground and began to run towards him. He couldn't help but watch as her chest rised and fell with each step she took. How her hair followed behind her. He also couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face as Leon came up from behind her and shoved her to the side, sending her flying down into the spot next to Letty.

"I should've warned you. They haven't been house broken yet. I've tried and failed miserably," Letty said, standing up from the sand and extending a hand towards her. Jackie accepted it and with Letty's help, she stood up and made her way towards the food.

She was glad that Vince had saved them some burgers and hot dogs, because Leon and Jesse were currently sitting in the sand, wolfing down everything and anything within distance. "Jesus Leon, breathe," Letty said, as Leon downed a can of Pepsi in one single gulp. With his mouth food of food, he pointed towards Vince who had currently eaten an entire burger in two bites.

"What? I'm a big boy," he said, shrugging and getting back to the rest of his meal. What was present of the team sat around in the sand and ate their mock lunch, talking shit as usual. "Enjoy this guys, because I'm pretty sure that when we get back to the house we'll have to deal with some new pain in either Mia or Dom's ass," Jesse said.

They all nodded in unison and tried to wait some appropriate amount of time before heading back down to the shore. The old saying of thirty minutes was driving some of them insane. Jesse was the first one to crack, within five minutes of finishing his last hot dog, he stood up and disappeared into the ocean. Leon shook his head and gave in ten minutes after that, heading into the water to find his lost brother.

_Perfect._ "Gotta pee," Letty said, standing up and brushing the sand off from the back of her board shorts. She grabbed her flip flops and waved at them, before walking off down the beach, towards the public bathrooms.

V shifted uncomfortable, realizing that this was what was supposed to happen, but something about being alone with her was making his heart speed up. "Come on, we look like a pair of pansies sitting here," Jackie said, standing up and removing her board shorts.

He felt like the entire world had shifted sideways as he saw the scars that lined her stomach and waist. She had a few tattoos to cover them up, but nothing like the extensive work she had on her arms. "How'd you get those?" He whispered, still not moving from his spot. He stared up at her, but couldn't find the strength to look at her in the face, choosing to stare directly into the sky.

"Long story. About 17 years long," she said, removing her sunglasses and throwing them on the beach towel she was sitting on. "Come on, get up." V stared up at her and his eyes were instantly drawn into her eyes. As the sunlight hit them, he couldn't figure out if they were green, hazel or yellow. But what he did know, was that they were amazing.

As she stood in front of him, her long hair wild, barely dressed and tattoos and scars greeting him all alike, he couldn't help but accept the hand she had offered him. He couldn't help but sigh as she instructed him to take his shirt off. He did so reluctantly, realizing that this was the first time since the heists that he had been without a shirt on in public.

Before the accident, he would look for any excuse to walk around shirtless. At the garage, the races, the house, the beach. Any excuse. He still had the same body, but the decorations he was sporting now did not appeal to him. _Or Mia_, he thought to himself.

Jackie stood back and couldn't help the smirk that had crawled onto her face as her eyes traveled up and down Vince's body. She ran her eyes over his muscular body and could've sworn that she was about to cum as her eyes followed his abs down to…. "Come on," she said, motioning for him to turn around.

"What?"

"Turn around."

"What?"

"Is that the only word in your vocabulary right now? Turn around and give me a piggy back ride. The sand is too hot and rough for me to walk on."

Vince snickered and knelt down, letting her climb on to her back. "Don't hurt yourself, old man," she whispered into his ear as he began to walk towards the shore.

As Letty reached the spot where they had set up everything, she smiled, her eyes following V as he reached the shore and flung Jackie into the water. She almost cackled as Jackie pushed him and he fell back into the water. He stood up and turned towards her, a shit eating grin on his face. Letty burnt the image into the back of her head- his smile, how bright his eyes were, how happy he was. Vince was happy, which was all Letty wanted for him.

But as quick as Letty got happy about the fact that V was having a good time for the first time in years, the feeling disappeared and was instantly replaced with guilt.

_He's already fallen for her. Shit! Shit! Fuckkkkk… he's fallen for her and she's clearly into him. Now how the fuck is he supposed to pull a Spilner on her? How the fuck is he supposed to screw her over? What the fuck is gonna happen when she turns out to be a cop and he's in love with her? Shit!_

_This is all my fault._

As quick as their day has begun, it had officially ended. Although Letty called the troops in, it wasn't easy. They put up a fight and eventually had to drop it as they realized that Letty was getting pissed off to the point of no return. "I sounded just like some old hag back there, standing at the water's edge bitching for all of you asses to get the fuck out of the water. People were looking and pointing at me and especially you guys," she said, as they began to walk towards the cars.

They apologized hastily as they were dead tired from being in the water and sun all day, and had a long night ahead of them. Heading home. Getting their cars ready. Eating. Races. Party. As they reached the cars, Letty knew she had to put the last nail in Vince's coffin, which would ultimately be the team's coffin.

"Alright, well I'll ride with Leon and Jesse, since Jackie lives on the other side of town. I need some extra time to get ready for tonight. All that makeup and hair shit, ya know," she said, throwing her duffel bag into Leon's trunk.

"We'll see you at the races tonight, right?" Leon asked, climbing into his car. Jackie shrugged and waved at him. "We'll see. I got lots of shit to do back at the store tonight," she replied, putting her things in Vince's back seat. "You better be there! I need a rematch immediately," Jesse said, referring to the arm wrestling match that had transpired between them all earlier.

"Call me if you need any help with the makeup and hair shit, ya know," Jackie said to Letty, waving at her as she climbed into Leon's car. Letty flipped her the finger, realizing the girl was mocking her. Vince and Jackie watched as Leon turned his car on and pulled out of his parking spot, roaring out of the parking lot and disappearing down the street.

They climbed into the car and did the same, both falling into a comfortable silence as the world flew by around them. "You should consider coming to the races tonight. I think Letty's racing and if she does, she'll win and then there'll be a major kick ass party afterward," V said, finally getting the balls up to initiate a conversation with her.

Jackie sighed and nodded, cocking her head to the side. "I'll see. I have some displays to set up in the store and when I usually decide to go to the races I always end up waiting for hours on end for Hector to show up, when he does that is. I don't want to waste the night away. He's a sweetheart, but I swear the boy gets distracted by any piece of ass with a pulse," she replied.

"Well, I could pick you up?" He replied quietly. She turned towards him a scowled. "That sounded more like a question than a statement. Like as if you're not sure you wanna do this," she said. He shrugged and shook his head, mentally kicking himself for being such an ass. "I just don't want Hector to get all defensive and shit, ya know. Guys are territorial, especially when it comes to female family members," he said. _The crazy truth is that I'm scared shitless that you'll turn me down._

"Yeah? You got some family members you're territorial about?"

"I got some cousins and Leon and Dom have sisters. Every time one of them show up with a new guy, both of them are looking for any reason to go down into the basement and get the shotgun."

"Yeah… I don't see Hector running out and getting a shotgun out of the basement. An automatic, yes. A shotgun, no."

"That doesn't help the situation whatsoever."

Jackie laughed and shook her head. "My brothers and cousins are harmless. Up until a certain point. They know I can take care of myself so they don't worry too much about me. But one phone call from me and --." She drew her hand across her throat for emphasis.

"Yeah, that doesn't help either."

She shoved him playfully and began to direct him through the streets towards her place. _If you only knew that I know where you lived better than you think. _V pulled his car up to her curb and shifted into park. They turned towards each other and smiled, both awkward and nervous about what was going to happen next. "So… pick you up?" V said.

Jackie nodded and reached into the backseat, grabbing her things. "Yeah," she said, reaching into the cup holder and picking up his cell phone. She saved her cell number into his contacts and handed the phone back to him. "Text me when you're ready to head out," she said, reaching over and placing a kiss on his cheek so fast that he didn't even process it until she was out of the car and halfway into her apartment.

V sat in the car in shock, not believing that she had kissed him. _When was the last time anyone kissed me on the cheek? When was the last time anyone was that close to me and fully clothed? _He shook his head and pulled away from the curb, a small smile on his face as he headed home. He felt childish as he pulled into the driveway and checked himself in the mirror, realizing that if he walked into the house with the shit eating grin he had sported the entire drive home, then everyone in the house would know something was up. He would never hear the end of it.

"So?"

"I'm working on it. I don't want to tip her off or anything."

"Did you notice anything weird?"

"No. She was perfectly chill. Leon and Jesse didn't notice anything. For all they know she's a racer chaser trying to get into your pants."

"When's your next outing?"

"I'm taking her to the races tonight. Then I figured I could bring her back here and get her shitfaced, maybe she'll let something slip."

"No, don't bring her around the house or the garage. I don't need her seeing or hearing anything that could help her and hurt us. Just take her out to dinner or something."

"What? Won't that look a bit suspicious?"

"Make it happen, V."


	9. New Things

**Chapter 9: **New Things

It was just another night, or rather it was supposed to be. Usually, Jackie could pick out an outfit in mere seconds. She always knew what she wanted to wear, what would look good together and how to make it work. But tonight was different, tonight she found herself standing in the middle of the room in a wet towel, searching frantically for something to wear.

Her apartment was small, but it served it's purpose. She never invited people over and she never had any male guests, so she was completely at peace with the massive amount of shelves that lined the walls of her bedroom, bursting full of clothes. Her small ass closet simply wasn't doing the trick, so she had Hector and her brothers put them up, creating her room into what looked like a small replica of her store.

Except for the flat screen television she had to support her habit of watching mind numbing t.v. for hours on end while putting together her latest creations, her apartment was bare. The fridge was empty and the cabinets held a few mismatched plates here and there. She wasn't worried about keeping house, she was worried about her store and her little brother.

It's what she did. Worked. Saved money. Worked. Paid her little brothers private school tuition. And that's what she was happy doing. She didn't like complicated and pretty much avoided it all costs, which was why she was surprised when she found herself surrounded by the team.

And actually liking it.

She knew what it would look like- coming and going in Vince's car. He didn't have the best reputation and she knew it. People would start to talk. She would be associated with them. She would become a part of them. She didn't want to become them. Maybe a little of him, but not them.

Jackie sighed and gave in. As much as she would've liked to pull out something out of her ass that would've wowed everyone, her nerves didn't allow her to do so. She threw on a pair of black skinny jeans and a black, small vest that gave her ample amount of cleavage to go along with her favorite cherry red 6 inch heels. She put on one of her black belts with metal studs and matched them with silver jewelry.

After looking at the clock and realizing that she had spent way too much trying to pick something to wear, she ran some mousse through her hair and slapped some mascara on. She was the only person that lived on the top floor of her building, so any footsteps that made it past the third floor were clearly heading for her door.

And since V wasn't one for being quiet or dainty, she heard his heavy footsteps as soon as he hit the third floor. When he had lifted his hand to knock, she opened the door and gave him a small wave. "How did you know?" He asked, digging his hands deep into his pockets.

Jackie motioned to his feet and shook her head. "King Kong has a better chance of going unnoticed," she said. V glanced behind her and into her apartment and it didn't go unnoticed that she wasn't happy that he did so. Jackie grabbed her keys from the hook by the door and shut the door quickly behind her. "Ready?" She said.

He nodded and turned on his heel, heading down the stairs to his car. _That wasn't weird at all. Shut the door in my face as soon as I go to take a peek at what's inside. She's definitely hiding something. _

"You look nice tonight," Jackie said, motioning to his Vince's usual attire of jeans and a shirt. "Nice try. I'm guessing you would've preferred if I had worn a tanktop instead of covering up my arms again."

She shrugged and sighed sarcastically. "A tank top would've been nice. A little eye candy won't hurt me you know. I went through all this trouble of making sure I looked good and here you are, repeat of the other night, just different colors."

He shrugged and kept his eyes on the road. "What do you expect from me, Jack? I'm not you. I don't ooze confidence like you can." Jackie scoffed. "I don't ooze confidence, V. I use my scars as a crutch. Keeps people away from me, keeps me in check for when I do get out of line and start to think I'm cocky and shit. Like you do- the whole bad ass thing. Old Coyote and what not."

His eyes fell on her and he smiled. _Shit, where the fuck did that come from? Shit! I'm letting him in. I'm starting to talk about myself. Shit! This is not good. Not good._

He smirked and drew his eyes back onto the road. "Like I do, huh?" He said, speeding up and weaving through traffic at insanely high speeds. Jackie took that as the end of their conversation and leaned back into her seat, enjoying the ride.

Vince pulled into the warehouses ten minutes later, parking his car next to Jesse's. He watched as Jackie climbed out of his car and scanned the crowd. As they stood there, the rest of the team began to walk over to them. They all said hi to Jackie, some more enthusiastic than others, well really everyone more enthusiastic than Dom and Mia. Mia simply gave her a weak smile and Dom….

"Where's Dom?" V whispered into Letty's ear. She shrugged and glanced over to Jackie, who was trying to keep up with Jesse's explanation of why his car is the best. Letty scanned the crowd quickly before leaning into Vince and whispering into his ear. "He said he would be a few minutes late and he gave me that look. The look where he's doing something he shouldn't be but he swears it for the good of the team. My guess is that he's breaking into Jackie's place as we speak."

V took a step back and shook his head. Letty nodded and offered him a smile, before patting him on the shoulder and disappearing into the crowd. He turned back to the team and found Jackie being pulled apart. Leon stood on one side and Jesse stood on the other, both begging for her attention.

She knew that Leon would be potentially less boring and more easy to understand, but she also knew that Jesse was the heart of the team. Win him over and you got them all in your back pocket. As he tried to think up a way of how to save her from them, Mia slid up to him and leaned against his car.

"How's it going?" She said. V rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"What do you want?"

"Just wanted to see how things were going with my replacement."

V sighed and turned towards her. "She's not your replacement, Mia. I would never do the same shit you did to me with Brian. There is no replacement for the feelings I have for you and you know it. After so many years, you should know better than that," he said, before walking away and heading towards Jackie.

He slid an arm around her waist and waved Jesse and Leon off, who pouted at the fact that he was taking her away. "Thanks for the save. I didn't know what to do. They clearly need to brush up on their sharing skills," she said. "No problem. Let's do a lap around the place before the races get started," he said, leading her towards the crowd.

Mia watched as V threw an arm around Jackie's shoulder and led her through the crowd. _To show her off, like she's his trophy. _She flipped her hair and ran her eyes over the crowd. She hated to admit it, but Vince's words had hit a nerve. She didn't know it yet, but V's intentions with Jackie hadn't started out so innocent. It all began with a plan to piss Mia off and would end in a plan that would eventually lead to the destruction of them all.

She felt the tears start to rise as she realized that no matter how much she said she hated Vince, she didn't. Vince was all Mia knew and had known since she was little. V had always been there. When her mother died. When her dad gave her the PG version of the sex talk and she wanted to know the truth. The first time she had gotten her period and was too embarrassed to tell her dad or Dom. When Mr. Toretto died. When Dom went to jail. When she graduated high school. When she had to do all-nighters in order to finish her papers.

He was all she knew. And even though she always had dreams of marrying up and never settling for less than the best, her greatest fear was losing him and her childhood along with him. And that's where she went wrong. She knew V wasn't going anywhere. He always only had eyes for her, so she didn't worry when he brought racer chasers home or when she let Brian into his life.

But what did scare her was the fact that this was the first girl that Vince had not only introduced to the team but brought to the races- ever. Usually he picked up his girls at the races or at the local bars or clubs, but this one- she was different. They all had history together. She wasn't a racer chaser, she wasn't after his car or what money he didn't have.

She was after him.

Mia sighed and began to head towards the crowd, realizing that if she gave it any more thought she would break down and start crying, right in the middle of the races. She wiped the moisture in the corner of her eyes and placed a fake smile on her face, getting ready to face the world again. Getting ready to think up another way to piss off V and hopefully scare off Jackie.

_Fingers crossed._

Letty ran up to them and shrieked. "I won!" She yelled, throwing her arms around Jackie and slapping V on the shoulder. She backed up and sighed, the smile on her face disappearing. "He's still not here?" She sighed and shook her head. V shook his head also and tried to lighten up the mood. "Come on, forget about him. There's a party in your name tonight," he said, throwing an arm around both girls and walking off towards the cars.

Vince had no choice but to take Jackie back to the fort. He didn't know where Dom was, for all he knew he would be at her place. He didn't want her to walk in on Dom digging up dirt on her.

Letty nodded and let Vince drag her along, realizing that he was right. Tonight was all about her. If Dom chose to miss out on her big night, then that's his problem. _Fuck him._

The team floored it back to the house and began to party like it was their last time. They were all excited that another female racer finally had enough guts to challenge Letty and even more excited that she smoked her ass. They all played it up though, trying to keep Letty distracted from the fact that Dom was still missing. He hadn't showed up at the races, the party or even bothered to call any of them.

Jesse secretly kept sneaking off and called him, but got no answer. They began to worry but Letty wouldn't let it show as she threw back shot after shot of tequila. As the party began to wind down, V realized just how trashed Jackie and Letty were as they slipped on a puddle of beer on the floor and collided into each other, dropping to the floor like a ton of bricks.

"Alright, someone's clearly inebriated," he said, picking up Letty from the floor and heading towards the basement. "I'll be back," he threw over his shoulder as he disappeared downstairs to put Letty to bed. When he emerged from the basement, he found Jackie still laying in the same position he had left her in, staring up at the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" He asked, extending a hand in her direction.

"Yeah, just so comfortable laying here," she said, grabbing his hand and letting him guide her up.

V led her towards the car and helped her in, snickering at how drunk she was. He drover to her place, making sure that he didn't see Dom's car anywhere. After arguing for several minutes about which key opened which door, Vince managed to figure it out on his own after Jackie had slapped them out of his hand several times. She would double over in laughter and her drunken posture would make her fall over.

He eventually gave up and picked her up, carrying her up the flights of stairs to her door. He found the door already slightly open and put her on her feet. He watched as she instantly sobered up and froze in front of the door. "Stay behind me," he whispered, opening the door more and sticking his head in.

He had a slight idea what had happened, or rather who had happened to her apartment. Dominic Toretto. He watched as she stood by the door as he walked through the apartment, making sure that no one was home. "It's clear," he said, standing in what he could assume to be the living room. Jackie walked into the apartment and turned the lights on, revealing what was now a destroyed apartment.

She gasped and her hands instantly went up to her mouth. She ran through the apartment, tears sliding down her face as she took in the damage to all her belongings. All the clothes in her closet and shelves were thrown to the ground and covered in what she could assume was bleach by the smell that filled the room. Her sewing machine lay on the ground in several pieces and her television now sported a picture frame in the middle of the screen.

Jackie dropped on to the couch and began to cry. "Should I call the police?" She asked, reaching for the phone. "No," V said, almost too eagerly. She looked up at him and cried harder. "Whoever it was is probably long gone by now. Did they take anything?" He asked, for the sake of appearances. "No. They just destroyed everything I owned. Including my television and my sewing machine. How the hell am I supposed to live without them?'

"It's just a television and a sewing machine. We'll get you a new one," he said, sitting down next to her, trying to comfort her. She placed her head in his lap and cried, realizing that not everything was as easy as V thought it was. _It was easy to say we'll buy a new one, but it's not that easy when you don't have two nickels to rub together._

They fell asleep in that position and would eventually wake up to find Jackie's head on his chest and Vince's hand on the small of her back. Jackie fell asleep with murderous thoughts in her head and Vince pretty much the same. _I should've fucking know Dom wouldn't be able to handle something like this. He never thinks. Just does shit as it pops into his head. FUCK!_

When Jackie woke up the next day, she felt like her head was spinning a 100 miles a hour. She was surprised to find that her apartment smelled of bacon and eggs and was even more surprised when she sat up and glanced into her kitchen, where Vince was standing in front of the stove making breakfast- shirtless.

She walked into the kitchen, grabbing on to the walls for support and stood in the doorway, watching him. "I think the person that trashed your apartment last night, stole all of your food. So I went down to the local store and got some stuff for you," he said, turning around and facing her with a plate of food in his hand.

She shook her head and reached for the plate, sitting down at the small kitchen table she had. "Nope. There was never any food in there for them to steal in the first place," she muttered, digging into the food. V fixed himself a plate and sat down across from her. "Jesus," she said, glancing at the towering pile of bacon, eggs and pancakes that sat in front of him.

"What? I gotta eat," he said, pouring syrup onto his food. She shook her head and glanced around the kitchen. "I had enough shit for you to make this?" She asked in disbelief. "Eh… Not so much. I had to buy a couple of things. Like food and some pots and pans."

She snickered and shook her head as she shoveled some pancake into her mouth. "Sorry. I'm not much a cook." He shrugged and continued to eat. When they were finished, Jackie simply stood up and walked into the bedroom, collapsing onto her bed after setting her alarm so that she could make a guest appearance at work.

Vince stood in the kitchen awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do. She didn't have any dishwashing liquid, so he let the dishes soak in the sink. He followed her into her bedroom and found her spread out on her bed, staring up the ceiling once again. "If you flip me over, I'll let you take a nap with me," she said, dead tired.

He smirked and slid into bed, positioning her so that her face rested on his chest. As they fell asleep again, his hand on the small of her back again, one leg between his, a hand on his side, Jackie's thoughts were no longer murderous.

They were full of hope and childish dreams of V playing house with her. _He probably feels bad. Wants to make sure I don't kill myself because of what happened. I'll probably never see him again after the mental breakdown I had. But his chest feel so good..._

Vince fell into his nap with thoughts of killing Dom. He stuck around, simply because he didn't want her to call the cops. He didn't want what happened leading back to the team at all. But he soon realized that staying had it's ups. _I get to lay in a bed with her. I get to smell her and have her so close to me. I get to touch her skin..._


	10. Letting Go

**Chapter 10**: Letting Go

Jackie lay in bed, wondering what was wrong with this picture. When she fell asleep, she could've sworn that Vince was laying underneath her. Not that she minded that much, but what she did mind was the strange feeling she was currently experiencing. She missed him.

_Oh boy. Not this shit again._

It had been a while since Jackie had ever let anyone in her life be missed. Not her parents, not her old friends. None of them. She kept her heart in an iron clad chest that only had love for her cousins and brothers. The only ones that mattered. But now V was in the picture and even though she had heard the stories and had gotten a stern warning from Hector, she wanted him to become a permanent part of her life. But why she wanted him so bad next to her, she didn't understand. And she didn't want to know either.

_It's better than way. So when things go south, it'll be easier to let go and move on._

She climbed out of the bed and found the pants she was wearing the previous night. She fished her cell phone out of it and sighed, checking the several missed calls she had. She hesitated before placing a call she knew would make the rest of her day living hell. She paced the room as the phone rang, trying to put her life back together little by little.

"Hey."

"Sorry, I got caught up last night."

"No, we didn't sleep together. He took me over to Toretto's house. There was a party and we just chilled there."

"Nothing crazy or unusual. Everyone except Dom seemed to be there."

"I have no clue where he was or is. Everyone except him spent the entire night there."

"I'm sure of it. I spent the entire night with Vince and Letty. And if there was something going on there, I would've known. They're his partner in crimes in everything."

"Yeah. I'll let you know if anything changes."

"By the way, someone broke into my house last night and trashed it."

"Could be some jealous tramp because of Vince. Or maybe it's one of the many hoodlums that are in this neighborhood. You couldn't have picked a better location to shack me up in?"

"Yeah, location and appearances are everything. But if Eric can live in the suburbs, I think you could've taken it up a step from this rat infested hell hole you got me in."

"Whatever. I'm gonna clean up and then try to put some work in. I have to keep up with my shitty life."

Jackie shut her cell phone and placed it on the nightstand before flopping down onto the bed. She could faintly still smell him and she sighed.

_Letting go won't be as easy as I thought._

Vince walked behind the shop and found Leon stretched out on a bench, tanning himself of course.

"You ever figure that your brain will dry out?" Vince said, sitting down on an old tire against the wall.

Leon shrugged and sat up, glancing over at him. "Letty tans every day. She's still up and around. I figure I can make it if she can too."

The two friends sat in silence, starring up at the darkening sky. Leon watched as V passed his cell phone from hand to hand, looking hesitant about himself. "So…. When are you gonna call her?" Le said, sliding into his shirt.

V flipped his head towards him and scowled. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that fine piece of ass called Jackie. You know, the one you've been drooling over since you met her. The one that got you to strip in public."

"I haven't been drooling. I've just been showing her a good time. She's Hector's cousin and I don't wanna piss him off. That'll fuck up everything we got going with him and the races."

Leon scoffed and shook his head. "You're such a horrible liar, V. You've fallen for this chick hard bodied. You want her and you just need to admit it. You wanna fuck her and that's about it."

V shook his head and stared down at his cell phone. He had been staring at it ever since he left Jackie's apartment. He had been silently wishing it would ring and that her name would pop up on the screen.

"The thing is…. Dom thinks she's a cop."

"And?"

"He wants me to pull a Spilner. Make her fall for me and then get the real dirt on her. Just how Brian did to Mia."

"I still don't see the problem here. You can spot a cop a mile away. If she was a cop, you would've called her out on in at the races."

"Yeah, I don't think she's a cop. She's Hector cousin. If he knew anything about her, he would've given us a heads up. Plus, I don't get the cop vibe from her."

"And?"

"I sort of like her."

"Aww shit.." Leon whispered, shaking his head softly. "So let me get this straight. Instead of her falling for you, you've fallen for her. Oh boy, does Dom know this?"

V shook his head and groaned, running a hand over his face.

"Shit, you better get your head out of your ass, Vince, before this all blows up in your face."

"What do you suggest I do, all mighty one?"

"I think you need to get your shit together. Find out once and for all if this chick is a cop before she gets under your skin. I personally like her, she's a combination of Mia and Letty. The parts I like and can actually stand. Plus, she makes you happy. Just don't fuck up and get us all caught."

"Yeah, easier than it sounds."

Leon stood up and headed for the door. "No, what's easier than it sounds is you calling the girl. It's what you really wanna be doing, brotha," he said, slapping him on the back before disappearing inside.

Vince stared at the phone in his hand and sighed. Leon was right. He couldn't beat around the bush any more, he needed to clear the air once and for all. He needed to find out if she was a cop or not, for his sanity. He opened the phone and began to dial her digits, feeling the weight lifting off of his shoulders the closer and closer he got to hitting the call button.

Before he dialed the last number, he shut the phone, growling. _ I don't wanna ruin the best thing I have going for me right now. I could confront her, she'll deny it. Then she'll be suspicious of me. She'll probably tell me to kick rocks and she'll never lay eyes on me again. Fuck! Why me? Why didn't Dom assign this shitty job to Leon? Jesus Christ! She's a fucking job now. Fuck!_

Vince opened his cell phone again and stood up, looking through his phone book for a number of a trusted friend. One he knew he could depend on.

"Hey, I got a job to do. I don't wanna get my hands dirty. This is a personal one."

_He needed to let go of the weight on his shoulders. He needed to let go of the doubt in his mind. In his heart. _

Letty flopped down on to Vince's bed, feeling the mattress squeaking in protest. She sighed and began to settle in for the night, wondering where the fuck V was. She didn't miss him, if anything right now all she wanted to do was be alone. Alone with the smells that reminded her of what used to be home- car grease, cologne, cigarettes, beer, Lysol, sex and sweat.

She could remember fondly the one time her and Mia went to Mexico for two weeks without the boys. Letty felt like she was gonna lose her mind in the sparkling, clean hotel. She felt like the fresh, crisp ocean air was melting away at her lungs. All she wanted to do was be back home, where the air smelled like memories. Where each stain in the carpet or couch was a story. Where each dent in the wall would speak of a party or a crazy moment during which the boys fought, only to be back to being best friends within the hour.

In the darkness of Vince's bedroom she ran her hands across her belly, pondering a shitload of what-ifs. In her mind, she played out different scenarios for every turning point in her life. She began to doubt herself, she began to regret some of her decisions.

_This is what it has come down to. Me in a shitty basement. Sharing a room with a grown ass man, that sleeps on the floor. This is what my life is. I'm nearing 30 in a few more years and I have accomplished nothing. My entire life revolves around Dominic Toretto and whatever he wants to do. Work. Race. Drink until I can barely breathe on my own. One abortion under your belt. Good job, Nicolette. I'm sure your mother is turning in her grave as we speak. Ugh. _

Letty thought about all the times when she was little and could remember herself talking about getting married and having tons of kids. How her and Do would barbecue as a family. The guys would come over, Mia would bake a cake or a pie. But instead she was stuck and she didn't see an out anywhere in sight.

She shifted in the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, sighing sadly. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. But just like the night before, she couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing a 100 miles a minutes and her heart felt heavy.

_She needed to let go._


	11. Giving In

**Chapter 11:** Giving In

Vince finally gave in after several minutes of pacing. After having a friend in the police department ask around in the force about Jackie, he discovered that she was clean. Or so he thought. His friend simply reported that her file was empty. She was clean as far as they knew and no one in the force knew her or had seen her around the precinct.

So after having spent the entire day arguing with himself about calling her, he found himself in the shop's office, dialing her cell phone number. After several rings, he could hear faint music in the background and heavy breathing. He pulled the phone away and stared at the screen, making sure he dialed the number right.

"Hello?"

"Jackie?"

"Yeah, who is this?"

"It's Vince, I hope you don't mind."

He heard the music in the background disappear and the moving of furniture and stuff. He heard the phone dropped and a curse from Jackie's end.

"Sorry. I was cleaning. What's up?"

"I was just calling to see how things were. I had fun the other night."

"Why? How? I was a drunken mess."

"True, but still. You were a fun, drunken mess."

Jackie sighed and laughed. "You sound stressed," V said, biting onto his bottom lip, genuinely worried about her.

"I'm just trying to get everything back to where it used to be. I'm trying to make sense of everything right now."

"I could come over. We can have dinner. Watch a movie."

Jackie laughed.

"Come on, please," V said. _I can't believe I'm begging to be with a girl._

"I don't have anything necessary for tonight. Like food, cooking skills or a television."

"I'll take care of everything."

"I can't let you do that. You've done enough already, Vince."

"Come on, this one thing and then you can do everything else."

"Fine, what time? I don't want you seeing this shithole in the condition it's currently in."

Vince laughed and shook his head. "It's not a shit hole, it's guy friendly. I like your place."

"Yeah. Coming from you, that doesn't reassure me."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm at the shop right now. So around eightish."

"Good, gives me time to throw an outfit together."

"Nothing special, J. Just dinner and a movie."

"Yeah, yeah. It's never just dinner and a movie."

Vince shook his head and shut his phone, a smile creeping on to his face at the thought of spending the night with her. He turned on his heel to exit the office and found Jesse standing behind him, his hands over his mouth, stifling a giggle.

V growled and Jesse took off running, trying to avoid his wrath. He turned around again and found Letty leaning against the office's desk, tapping her fingers on the top of it. She had a slick smile on her face as she stared up at him.

"What are you gonna wear?" She asked, leaning back in the chair and kicking her feet up onto the desk.

V sighed and shook his head. "Not you too."

"This girl is all fashion, V. You can't just wow her in your grungy tanktops."

"Maybe I can."

Vince smiled, giving in to what he was trying to hide. There was no use hiding from Letty. She knew him like the back of her hand.

_He simply had to let go._

Jackie stood in the middle of her living room, her hair up in a sloppy bun, sweat dripping down her face. She poured enough Lysol on the floor to try and hide the smell of bleach that was making her nauseous. The smell was driving her up the wall and the heat wasn't helping her much. As she swiveled her hips to the music that was playing, her doorbell rang.

She walked over to the door and looked into the peephole, finding two large, burly men standing there. She opened the door slightly and stuck her head out, cocking an eyebrow and motioning to them with her head. "What's up?"

"We got a delivery for a Jackie. No last name. From my boy Vince."

She scrunched her face as she opened the door and stood aside, giving them room to come in. As the men parted and prepared to carry in their delivery, Jackie shrieked. She was expecting flowers or something of that sort, was but surprised shitless when the guys began to carry in a big screen television into her apartment.

She was speechless as the guys removed her broken television and set up a new 60 inch plasma in it's place. Her only response was to drop on to her couch as the men set up the surround sound system and placed the controls on her coffee table, letting themselves out.

She gave in and began to dance around her apartment, shrieking at the top of her lungs. As she began to gear up for her second lap, she looked at the clock and the current condition of her apartment. Her face dropped and she began to move at the speed of light.

_She gave in and decided to give it her all._

Vince tapped his foot on the floor as he struggled to balance all the bags he was currently carrying. He waited a few more seconds, before reaching over and kicking the bottom of the door. Seconds later, Jackie swung the door open and faced him, a shit eating grin on her face.

"A little help?"

She reached over and grabbed some of the bags out of his hands, letting him into the apartment. They walked into the kitchen, placing the grocery bags on the counter. They faced each other, both with smiles on their faces.

V's heart sped up as he took in her current attire. Her hair was pin straight and her makeup was flawless. The only thing that looked out of place was the bath robe she was wearing. "You look nice," he said, leaning in and placing a kiss on her cheek. She blushed and motioned to his outfit.

"So do you," she replied, drinking in his light jeans, sneakers and his layered tank tops. "Seems like you finally got the hint."

_You don't know how much it means to me that you finally gave in and shed the long sleeves._

He chuckled and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "I figured I could shut you up once and for all. What's with the robe?"

She shrugged and began to head for her bedroom. "I couldn't decide what to wear. So I figured I would see what you were wearing. I'll go get dressed really quick," she said, as she disappeared down the hallway.

V stared after her and smirked before turning around and getting started on dinner. He pulled his shirt off and threw it over one of the kitchen chairs before starting to get his ingredients together.

When Jackie made her way back to the kitchen, she found him in front of the stove, making what looked like red sauce. She slid up to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind, her hands resting on the top of his chest.

"Why do you always do that?" She said, watching as he added several ingredients to the sauce.

She could feel his heart speeding up, throbbing in his chest. _Did I scare him? Or do I excite him?_ Vince shrugged and turned around to face her. "It's comfortable and when I'm done my shirt doesn't smell like food. Plus, you don't have an apron."

"Interesting. I didn't know you were a cook. That doesn't seem to go hand in hand with the bad, ass Coyote that everyone seems to think they know so well."

"When Dom got locked up, I had to look after the girls. Mia and Letty were struggling to finish school and move on from everything that had just happened. I had to take care of the house and we used to cook together, sort of as a bonding thing."

V and Jackie stared into each other's faces, the silence putting them at ease. She ran her hands over his chest, a small smile creeping onto her face. She loved the smooth, tanned skin and how muscular he was. He loved the fact that with one simple touch she could make him feel like he was a kid again, taking all the cares off his shoulders.

"Thanks for the television," she whispered, running her fingers up and down his arm.

"No problem," he whispered back, wrapping his arms around her small waist. That's when he noticed what she was wearing, or the lack of. She was currently clad in black, small boy shorts and a matching spaghetti strap tank top. He loved the fact that the tank top rode high on her stomach, revealing her lower back and the tattoos that lined her waist.

"What's for dinner, Emeril?"

"I got some wine, some garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs and a salad. What are you making?"

Jackie chuckled and slid out of his arms, dancing all the way to the fridge. "I'm gonna make one of my famous dishes. And you're guaranteed to love it," she sang. V scoffed and stirred his sauce. "This coming from the girl that owns A pot. Just one."

Jackie faked that she was hurt and wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. "Hey! Don't forget the two you bought. Now I have three." Vince turned towards her and crossed his arms over his chest, cocking his head to the side, waiting to see her famous dish.

"I'm waiting," he said, tapping his foot on the floor. Jackie opened the fridge door and retrieved a casserole dish, a smirk on her face as she showed him her dish. He laughed and took the casserole dish out of her hands, placing it on the kitchen table.

"This is it?" He said, motioning to it.

"Yep. And you'll need this to devour it," she said, walking over to the kitchen counter and pulling open a drawer, retrieving a bottle opener from it. She handed it to him and giggled as V glanced back at the casserole dish and sighed.

Jackie's dish consisted of a casserole dish with a 6-pack of Coronas in it. She wasn't much for cooking, after all she was a fashion designer and creativity was her thing, so she created. "Nice. Best dish ever," V said, as he pulled the top off of two bottles and handed her one.

They clinked bottles and took a sip before getting back to their real dinner. They chatted as Vince tried to teach her the basics of cooking, but Jackie promised nothing. As they sat down for dinner, V couldn't help the smile that was permanently etched onto his face. He felt at peace with her but he couldn't help the small voice in the back of his mind that kept reminding him that she could be a cop.

When they finished dinner, they settled into the couch for a sci-fi movie that V had picked up. Jackie found herself cuddling into his side as Vince found his arm wrapped around her waist, inhaling her sweet scent. Not even ten minutes into the movie, Jackie couldn't help but notice that V kept shifting in his seat.

"Are you okay?" She asked, sitting up and facing him. She couldn't help but notice how V's face turned magically red. She also noticed how his hand travelled down to his crotch and how he rearranged himself. He cleared his throat and smiled at her, before dragging his eyes towards the television screen, hoping to hide his embarrassment.

"Interesting. Watch as the Coyote maintains something that barley resembles control over himself. What a beauty," she said, her voice in a horrible Australian accent. Vince growled and quickly reached for her, pushing her onto his lap. She was caught off guard and shrieked, as he grabbed on to the back of her head and began to kiss her.

Jackie relaxed her breathing and let his tongue explore his mouth as she found herself straddling him and running her fingers through his hair. She could feel his throbbing member between her legs and was pretty sure that he could feel how warm and moist she was, but it didn't matter at that moment as she relished the sweet taste of Corona in his mouth and the smell of the masculine cologne that he seemed to ooze.

A high pitched scream from the movie caused them to come apart, both breathless with swollen lips. Jackie withdrew her fingers from the back of his head and wiped her lips. Vince released a deep breath he didn't know he was holding in and removed his hand from underneath her shirt.

Jackie leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek before climbing off of him and settling back down into his side. V's arm found it's place back around her waist as he kicked off his shoes and placed his feet up on the coffee table. They settled in for the movie and acted like as if nothing had happened.

_Until the next time they decided to give in._


	12. All Talk

**Chapter 12: **All Talk

Mia sat low in her car, a pair of big sunglasses on her face. She watched as Jackie crossed the street after getting off of the city bus. Mia smirked as she took in her dressy attire and the building she entered- the city's federal building. As Jackie disappeared into the building, Mia got out of the car and placed a few quarters into the meter, before taking up residence in the coffee shop across the street from the fed building, where she would proceed to spend the next 2 hours reading over her notes from class while filling up on bakery cookies.

She had only been dicking around when she told Dom that Jackie was a cop, but the fact that she had just caught her going into the federal building that the FBI called home, just happened to be a coincidence. Mia waited until Jackie exited the building and glanced around her worriedly, before hopping back on the city bus and disappearing into the masses.

Mia shut her notebook and headed for her car, a small smile on her face. She knew Dom would be pissed off at the fact that she followed Jackie around all day, but she knew that the new info she had would also spark an interest within him. Another seed to the bunch she had been planting.

_She was all talk in the beginning. Not so much now._

Dom disappeared into the shop's office, muttering something about late shipments. Jesse wiped the sweat from his forehead as he put the finishing touches on the engine he had spent the last 8 hours working on. Leon rolled out from underneath a Honda Civic and threw his wrench on the ground. Letty smirked as she realized that Leon was fed up. Vince was laying in the front seat of a Mazda, installing a new sound system, wishing he was someplace else.

Letty leaned against the car she was working on and ran her eyes over all of them. She flipped her head towards the entrance and scowled, watching as Mia's car pulled up to the entrance and began to park. Letty cleaned her hands on a dirty rag and threw it over her back, glancing back at it as it landed on the floor. She shrugged her shoulders, too tired to turn around and pick it up, and headed for the office.

As she entered, Dom stood up and motioned to the papers on his desk. "This is some bullshit," he said, exiting the office and heading over to Jesse's station. "I'm gonna take off," she said to his retreating back, not really caring if he would let her go or not. She walked over to her locker and grabbed her car keys and cell phone.

Letty opted not to change, deciding to head directly home and hit the shower. As she grabbed her things and turned around to head for the door, she found Mia. She smiled at her and placed her purse on the table, leaning against it and facing her.

"Can we talk?" She said, her voice low, not wanting to let the rest of the team know she was addressing Letty. The tougher girl rolled her eyes and leaned against the lockers, crossing her arms over her chest and staring off into the wall behind Mia.

Mia cleared her throat and fidgeted in place, looking for the right words to make things rights. And that's just what she was doing- making things right. Putting things back into their place. Not because she felt sorry or because she wanted to, but because Dom had told her to.

Deep down inside, Dom knew he was losing Letty all by himself, but now Mia was pushing her away further and faster than he would've like. She was pushing her away before he could get his head out of his ass and figure out how to make things right also. So he opted for the easiest step first- get Mia and Letty to makeup.

The duo usually fought over petty things and would get over it in a few hours, but this was the first time that they had gotten physical and the first time when they went days without speaking to each other. Mia knew she had no other choice but to summon up something that would resemble an apology and get Letty back on her side and so she put her best acting face on and began to ramble on about how she had let things get too far, she abused the relationships she had with all of them- blah, blah, blah.

Letty nodded her head as Mia went on and on about herself and smirked when she realized that she was finally done. She stepped forward and chuckled, shaking her head as she headed for the door. "See, Mia, that's your problem. You always have to make things about yourself. You can take your half-assed apology and shove it up Dom's ass," she said, before disappearing into the dusk.

_That was the big difference between Letty and Mia. Mia was all talk but Letty couldn't stomach it. That's why she fit in so well with the guys. Because she wasn't all talk._

Dom watched as Letty walked out of the office, a scowl on her face, just as Mia stuck her head out of the same office, staring after her. He cut his eyes at Mia and began to walk towards Letty's retreating back, as he felt a strong hand wrap around his arm and pull him back. He glanced back and found Vince's eyes staring him down, while he shook his head no.

Dom turned towards the shop's entrance and watched as Letty crossed the street and climbed into her car. He sighed and turned back towards Vince, hoping that he had a good excuse. He watched as Vince disappeared into the office and emerged with a 6-pack of Coronas in tow and headed into the back of the shop.

Dom followed him into the makeshift backyard that was full of junk cars that they had stripped for parts and mostly used to work out in. He plopped down next to Vince, who was sitting on what used to be a minivan's back seat. V handed him a beer and watched as Dom sighed once again before popping the top off and lowering his heavy body down next to his.

"What's up?" V said, tossing his cell phone from hand to hand.

"Letty. She's just bored. Looking for a fight to pick with anyone that'll give it to her. She just needs some time alone," Dom replied, handing him a beer.

V accepted it gladly and shook his head, after taking a long sip. "Are you sure it's her and not the fact that you have your head so stuck up your ass you can't even see the light of day?"

Dom growled and grabbed the leftover beers by his feet. He stood up and walked over to the door, glancing back over his shoulder in order to glare at Vince. "You're such an asshole," he muttered, before disappearing inside.

V shook his head and glanced down at the cell phone in his hand. _And then some_, he thought to himself as he flipped his cell phone open and began to dial Jackie's number. Before he could finish dialing her number, his screen cleared and her phone number popped up. She was calling him.

He couldn't hide the shit eating grin that crept onto his face as he answered and said hello.

"Hey. Thanks for everything. I'm gonna pay you back every last cent," she said.

"It's okay."

"Can you come by the shop when you're done today?"

After giving him directions, Vince couldn't help but giggle to himself as he rushed home to shower and grab a quick bite to eat. He made sure to wear tank tops and to run some gel through his hair. He didn't know why, but every inch of him was already out the door by the time he was still in the shower.

He just wanted to be with her.

-----

Vince climbed out of his car and began to walk towards the building that Jackie had described over the phone. He saw the mannequins in the windows and knew he was in the right place. They all dressed like her in one way or another and he couldn't help but picture her in the outfits, while seducing him.

He pushed open the shop's door and walked inside. The shop was bright and peaceful, and smelled in his mind, of home. There was a soft rock playing in the background and he cocked his head to the side as he tried to figure out what band it was. He then remembered that she got most of her music from local bands and gave up.

As he made way towards the back of the shop, Jackie emerged from the office. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, placing a kiss on his cheek. Vince drank her in, inhaling her scent deeply and sighing softly when they broke their embrace.

He stared down at her, her eyes sparkling at him. He couldn't help but notice the small blush that crept onto her cheeks and how hot she looked in a simple pink dress that seemed to hug all the right curves. "I got something for you," she crooned, grabbing his hand and leading into her office.

When they entered, V saw a few large shopping bags sitting on what he guessed was her desk. "I got you a couple of things. A little something until I can come up with a better way to pay you back what I owe you," she said, reaching in and pulling out a shirt to show him.

V smirked took the shirt from her and held it up to his body, cocking his head to the side. "You trying to give me a makeover?" He said, looking at himself in the mirror. "One step at a time," she said, passing him a pair of jeans. V laughed and continued to check himself out in the mirror.

"How did you know my size?"

"I do this for a living, V. I knew exactly how much trouble I was getting into the first time I saw you," she replied.

He glanced back her, trying to make sure he had heard her right. He watched as she stared back with no expression on her face and simply handed him another shirt. They spent the rest of the night trying on clothes and discussing what colors and styles V would never be caught in.

Before they both knew it, they were standing outside of the shop, rolling down gate. "So… you want me to make you dinner tonight?" V said, reaching up and pulling down the steel gate.

"As much shit as everyone talks about you, you're not that bad," Jackie replied, sliding the locks into place.

"Who was talking shit?"

"People. Hector told me to be careful with you. That you have a mean streak. That nothing good will come out of you trying to get into my life, or my pants- his exact words."

Vince slid the last lock into place and took a step back, running his eyes from her head, down to her toes. Jackie faced him, trying to decide if his stance was one of offense or defeat. "I won't promise you anything, but I'm trying here. I'm not perfect, but bear with me. I don't have the best track record, but I'm trying to turn it around.'

She sighed softly and shifted her bag on her shoulder. Jackie smiled at him and began to walk away, towards the bus stop. She got a feet away before stopping and turning back towards him.

"Every girl wants a bad boy and every girl wants to be the one that changes him."


	13. Nails

**Chapter 13: **Nails

Letty leaned against the side of the house, sipping slowly off of her beer. She didn't know how many she had had so far, but she knew it was enough to get her to drop the brick wall she had built around her feelings. She was currently pondering her life and her future- something she had found herself doing a lot lately. This was something she neither liked nor disliked. She liked reminiscing and picking out the finer and not-so-finer points of her. What she didn't like, was the fact that she was scared shitless.

Change. It was something Letty was not fond off. She didn't like not knowing what was coming. She liked control. It was one of the reasons why she was drawn to Dom. He controlled everything. He was consistent and never wavered when he made a decision. But this time, she was on her own. Dom wasn't there to calm her worries. Vince wasn't there to inform her of what she already knew, which was another issue all on its own.

Letty's only ally in the fort was Vince, who neither spent a lot of time there or even bothered to check in with her. For the past couple of weeks, he had been taking up permanent residency in Jackie's house. They would only cross paths at work and even then, they wouldn't have much time to speak. Business was picking up and therefore Dom expected them to work harder, in order to meet the demand.

She sighed softly and took yet another sip, glancing down to the several empty bottles that lay at her feet. Letty looked at her watch, realizing how late it had gotten. _Another beer won't matter. I still won't want to get up in the morning._ She finished the current bottle she was drinking from and picked up the last full one at her side. She popped the top off and began to drink again.

Letty watched as Dom emerged from the garage, wiping his hands on a rag. _Yet another night, trying to fix something that's been destroyed_, she thought to herself. She froze and hoped that the night sky would hide her and not let Dom notice she was outside. As soon as Dom finished wiping his hands on the rag, he threw it over his shoulder into the garage and headed over to her.

He walked over quietly and slid down next to her. Letty passed him her beer, which he accepted gladly. "You carry this weight around with you," he whispered, his gravelly voice sending shivers down her spine. "Yeah, it's called shame."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at what our lives have become."

Dom nodded and continued to drink his beer. "Do something about it. Change it, because I can't keep seeing that look in your eye. The one that says you blame me. That you hate me, that you don't love me. Do something about it because you're killing me every time I find you out here all alone, because it's killing me that you no longer go into the garage with me."

Letty sighed and nodded. "Soon, Dom."

He finished off the beer and placed it with Letty's collection. He stood up and stretched his body out, motioning towards the house. "Come to bed," he said, stretching out a hand. Letty glanced at his hand and then back up at the sky. "In a few," she replied.

Dom nodded and disappeared into the house, leaving Letty alone with her thoughts. She thought about the significance of her not joining Dom in the garage any more. The fact that the garage was the only place they could be alone. Everyone knew that was their alone time and no one dared to interrupt them. It was the only time they could be themselves- not have to worry about what others thought of or expected from them.

Since the beginning of their time together.

She could remember it clearly. It was an usually warm day in the winter and the entire crew, including Mr. Toretto, found themselves in the driveway, participating in an intense game of basketball. Somehow, Letty and Dom ended up on opposing teams and he ended up guarding her. There was a scuffle, a fight for the ball and Dom being the stronger of the two, Letty ended up on the ground.

No one quiet knew the extent of her injuries, but Letty disappeared inside the house, grabbing on to her arm. Everyone froze; not knowing which one of them should risk their lives and go see if she was okay. It could go in two completely different directions- she could bite their heads off or she could completely sweet. No one wanted to find out.

They all turned towards Mr. T, searching for some guidance. "Dom, go look after her," he said. Dom groaned and turned towards his father, about to argue with him but the stern look on his face, shut him up quick. Dom reluctantly turned on his heel and headed inside the house, in search of Letty and potentially the end of his life.

After doing a quick search of the house, he finally found her upstairs, in the bathroom. He leaned against the door way and watched as she sat on the bathroom counter and used some toilet paper to stop the blood coming out from the scrape on her arm. He couldn't help but sigh as he memorized how each strand of hair hugged her shoulders. How her caramel skin seemed to glow in the cheap lighting in the bathroom. How…

Dom managed to unfreeze himself and walk over to the edge of the tub. After taking a sit on the edge, he reached underneath the bathroom counter and pulled out a first aid kit. They sat in silence as Dom patched up her wounds.

Letty shivered as Dom leaned down and placed a kiss on her bruise and then reached up and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry," he whispered, before leaning in and kissing her on the mouth. Letty pulled back, shocked at what had just transpired between them. She wasn't shocked about the fact that she actually enjoyed it, because she had spent several sleepless nights imagining what it would feel like to be one of Dominic's girls. What she was shocked about was that Dom pulled her towards him, kissing her yet again.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. In her mind, Letty weighed the possibilities. Was Dom kissing her so that she wouldn't be pissed at him anymore? Or was he genuinely interested in her? At this point in time, she didn't care. What she did care about was the fact that Dom's hands were roaming dangerously close to the hem of her shirt. She knew what was next.

Letty pulled away once again, breathless. "What are we doing here, Dom?" She whispered, arranging her shirt. He sighed and stretched out his neck, considering the possible answers. "I don't know, Let. You're younger than me. My dad will flip if he finds out that I even looked at you…." Letty's lips interrupted him, as she took him stating that she was younger than him as a challenge.

She slid down from the counter and straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "He can't know," she whispered against his lips. He nodded slowly and they continued to make out for what seemed like ages. "Letty!" They heard Mia shout from downstairs. They parted ways, glancing back at each other as they exited the bathroom. Letty headed down the stairs and Dom headed towards his bedroom.

Two months later, Dom was in Lompoc on a two year bid. And they all had to grow up fast. And Letty was left alone with the secrets that they shared in the dark corners of the house- until his return.

Letty sighed and stood up from her post against the house. She brushed off the back of her pants and headed inside, climbing the stairs two at a time. When she entered their bedroom, Dom was already in bed, sitting up- waiting for her. She pulled her clothes off and slid in between the sheets, naked.

Dom reached over and began to kiss her. Letty thought about how in the dark confines of their bedroom, they were 2 totally different people, and how out in the rest of the world, their relationship was something completely different than what it actually was. And with like every make-out session they had, Dom usually ended up in between her legs, but unlike the rest of them, he found Letty hesitant.

"Use a condom, Dom," she said, motioning to the nightstand.

"What?"

"A condom?"

"For what?" Dom was bewildered at the fact that she was asking him to use a condom.

"I don't wanna get sloppy now."

He reluctantly gave in, but he was still pissed at the fact that Letty had requested the use of a condom. He was pissed that she wasn't letting him, no pun intended. And with that he focused all his attention on making Letty moan, it was better than focusing on arguing with her. When he was done, he collapsed on top of her, whispering how much he loved her.

Letty smuggled out from underneath him and rolled over. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Dom called out her name. She faked that she was asleep and waited until she heard his soft snores before lifting her hands up and wiping away her tears.

----

Vince rushed into the house, glancing at the clock. "Fuck, I'm late," he muttered, rushing down the basement stairs. He had decided to spend yet another night on Jackie's couch and this time he had managed to over sleep. He figured he could get away with it just as long as he showed up at work in good spirits, or as close as he could get to good. That would keep Dom busy- he would be preoccupied with why V was in such a good mood. That should at least distract him for a few.

V shed his clothes and grabbed a towel before rushing into the bathroom. He made some sort of attempt at getting clean, before muttering that he was late once again. As he ran back into his room, he froze, his eyes landing on the half-naked Mia that was currently in his bed.

He couldn't help his eyes as they ran up her long, tanned legs and focused on the lace panties that fit her so snugly. Mia smirked and motioned for him to join her. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, feeling oddly naked. She slinked out of his bed and walked over to him, cocking her head to the side. As she reached him, she reached out and grabbed his member, giggling to herself. "Come on, V. How long do you think you can go without some sex? Our little friend here seems about ready to explode, don't you think?" She whispered, wrapping an arm around his neck, making sure he saw how great her bra made her breasts look.

"Don't do this," he moaned, as Mia began to suck softly on his neck. "Do what?" She replied, reaching down and unwrapping his towel. "Ruin the good thing I have with Jackie." Mia ran a hand through his hair, the water drops falling onto his shoulders and falling down his chest. She licked the water drops and purred. "You're supposed to be making her fall for you, so that you can see if she's not a cop."

"And what is she's not a cop? What if this becomes more than what it already is?"

Mia kissed him, long and hard. She rammed her tongue into his mouth, the way she knew he liked it. "Then it'll be just another nail in our coffin, V. Just another one," she whispered. Vince drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting Mia guide him towards the bed.


	14. Late Night Visits

**Chapter 14: **Late Night Visits

Jackie snuggled into the couch, pressing the mute button on the remote. Vince and her had spent the entire night on the couch, watching a marathon of Dirty Jobs. "You wanna do something this weekend? I was thinking we could take a road trip, see another beach," she said, turning towards him. Vince shrugged and glanced back at the television. "I've been spending a lot of time here with you. I was thinking I could spend the weekend with the team. Maybe take Letty out to dinner," he said.

"Cool," was Jackie's response. She shifted back towards the television and un-muted it. Vince watched her out of the corner of his eye, wondering if she had bought his excuse. He didn't want her snooping around, but he also didn't want to piss her off. "Not mad?" _Because I rather you not be, seeing as tomorrow night I'm going to be hanging off of the side of a big rig. Say the wrong thing and I might not be able to concentrate. Say the wrong thing and I might not make it back. So please, don't be mad. If you really care for me, say the right thing._

"Nope, not at all. Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Vince reached over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Where are we going with this?"

Jackie scrunched her eyebrows together before muting the television once again and facing him. "What do you mean?"

"Is this us just passing the time or are we working towards something?" V said, but what he really meant was why are you not letting me fuck you. _Why do we make out and I fake falling asleep on the couch because I know I won't be able to control myself if we end up sleeping in the same bed. Why?_

"Just hold on, V."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't give up on me, okay? And I'll do the same for you."

Somehow, it was like both of them understood that there was something missing. Like they both knew that things were going to get rough and that if they were going to make it, they would need to know when to hold on and when to let go.

Vince placed another kiss on her forehead and reached for the control. Jackie slapped his hand away and hit the mute button, leaning into his side. V threw an arm around her side and sighed, realizing that he was just fine like this.

Only if he kept getting it from somewhere else.

---

Vince groaned, slapping his hand down on to his sides. He was pissed off and tired because he couldn't seem to shut his mind down. He was still wired from the heists and he knew that he wouldn't be able to sit still long enough to fall asleep. He glanced down to his arm and the scar that twisted itself around it, a faint reminder of what once was and what still is- his past and his present. V traced the scar and sighed, feeling that lump in the back of his throat. Feeling that regret and anger start to make its way up to the surface. Another faint reminder.

He reached out and pulled the blanket that was currently covering him off and sat up in bed. After stretching out his neck, he stood up and began to move around the room. V swiftly slipped into a pair of jeans he found lying in a corner and threw on the first tank top he found.

He already knew where he was going and it didn't matter what he looked like or what he was wearing.

He was heading to Lou's. And that's all that mattered.

---

Lou groaned, shifting Vince's car into park and then reaching over and turning it off. He glanced over to V who was slumped over in the passenger side seat. He sighed and climbed out of the car, walking around it to help V out of the car.

The older man helped Vince up the stairs and hesitated knocking on the apartment door. Lou knew very well that Vince didn't live in this neighborhood and he also knew that the person in this apartment had to be the one.

The one he couldn't stop talking about at the bar. The one that V was trying to hide his fears from. The one he was trying to forget about when he entered the bar. He glanced down at his watch and sighed. It was 4 o'clock in the morning and he was in need of some sleep. Lou decided to knock on the door before it got any later and before his wife, who was waiting at the curb in her for him, got pissed off and left him there.

In a strange neighborhood. In front of a stranger's door. At 4 o'clock in the morning. With a drunk man hanging on to him for dear life.

They stood in front of the door for a few minutes, before V got impatient and began to kick the bottom of the door. Lou shoved him aside and cursed under his breath, as he heard footsteps making their way towards the door. The door opened and in front of him stood a female he considered to be extraordinarily beautiful.

Even with the sleep in her eyes and the hair matted on to the side of her face, he could see why Vince was drinking the way he was. He could see why she had him head over heels. As she stared at both of the men on her doorstep, he could see why they were meant to be.

As Jackie drank in Lou and V standing there, her facial expressions changed from defensive to worried. She questioned why Lou was standing there and then when her eyes landed on V and the condition he was currently in, she began to worry.

Before Lou could open his mouth to introduce himself, V lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Jackie, kissing her aggressively. They parted and Vince disappeared inside the house, leaving Lou and Jackie staring at each other awkwardly. He cleared his throat and stretched out a hand. "I'm Lou. V's a good friend of the family," he said.

J placed her hand in his and instantly fell at ease. There was something about this man that reminded her of V. Maybe it was the calluses on his hands or the intense eyes that were staring back at her, but there was something, alright. "I'm Jackie and by the looks of it, you were Vince's ride," she replied.

Lou laughed and reached into his pocket, digging out the car keys. "Yeah. Well it was nice meeting you. I wish I could stay but I have my wife downstairs waiting for me and according to her the only waiting she likes to do is for me to die." Jackie chuckled and nodded, waving him off.

She shut the door in the presence of Lou's retreating back and turned around to find V standing behind her, an enormous sandwich in his hands. She watched as V sat on the edge of the couch and began to devour it.

"You bought food," V said, a piece of lettuce hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, you eat a lot," she said, placing the locks back on the door.

As she finished locking back up, she heard a loud burp ring out through the room. She took that as V being finished with his early morning snack. She yawned and started to head towards the bedroom. "Come to bed, V. It's pretty early in the morning and you need to sober up if you're gonna make it to work on time," she said.

She dragged her hands against the wall as she made her way down towards the bedroom. Even though the house was silent, she could feel his presence following her down the hall. She could feel his eyes burning a hole into her lower back. Where he loved to place his hands. Where his fingers loved to graze her. As she entered the bedroom, she turned around and saw him heading towards her, pulling off his shirt.

It seemed like something out of a movie. The room was dark, warm and felt like home. She was barely dressed and he was making his way towards her. Jeans slung low on his hips, his eyes dreamy. Vince slid up to Jackie and wrapped his strong arms around her waist, digging his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. She lost her fingers in his hair, tugging softly at the roots, just how he liked it. It relaxed him. Calmed him down, brought him down from wherever he had lost his thoughts at.

She couldn't help but lift her face up and run her tongue across his bottom lip. V got the hint and kissed her, relishing how soft and warm her mouth was. Before he knew it, his hands were sliding underneath the hem of her shorts, pushing aside her panties and reaching for her opening.

Jackie moaned as she felt Vince's thick fingers entering her. She felt her legs start to shake as he moved them in and out, his thumb massaging her clit. Vince pushed her back into the bed and climbed on top of her, entwining his hands in her hand and kissing her roughly. Jackie moaned but it wasn't one of her usual moans. It was a cross between pleasure and pain. The fact that V was pleasuring her distracted her from the fact that he was being forceful with her.

She could feel her bottom lip getting raw as he dragged his teeth across it as he kissed her. She squirmed as his body weight pinned her down and made it difficult for her to breath. Nonetheless, she was enjoying it, even if in the back of her mind she had that residual doubt of what people had warned her about him.

Her body went cold, as V pulled away from her and began to shed his jeans. Jackie sat up in bed and watched as he pulled his pants off, her eyes landing on the bulge between his legs. She could clearly see where this was going.

V was drunk. V wanted sex.

Just how everyone had told her.

She stared up at him, they eyes interlocking and holding on to each other. Vince moved his hands down to his crotch and motioned for her to reach out and touch him. Even through his underwear, she could see how big he was.

How needy he was.

How ready she wasn't.

She shook her head softly and arranged her clothes, rushing to get onto her side of the bed and underneath the covers, where he couldn't see how vulnerable she was. Unlike her close friends and family, V hadn't met the vulnerable side of her. He didn't know how scared of the world she was, underneath her strong façade.

Once again, Vince sighed, dropping his hands down onto his sides and giving up on yet another thing. He walked over to the corner of the room and flopped down into a fluffy chair, that was usually exploding with clothes but tonight it seemed to be inviting him. He kicked his feet up and stared off into the ceiling, feeling J's eyes on him.

Vince knew what it looked like to her. That he was getting frustrated because she wouldn't give it up to him. That he was asshole. That all those other people were right.

But they were wrong.

Vince found himself pondering his very existence. That because of Dom's insecurities and their after-school activities, he forced him to chase after Jackie. And now he had fallen for her, hard. He realized it the moment the thoughts of fucking her came into his mind. It was how he shielded himself from all the other girls. Fuck 'em and leave 'em. But Jackie wouldn't do the first, so he couldn't do the second.

It was the usual for V. Not once had a girl wanted more than that. Not once had he actually wanted a real relationship, and yet here they were. He wanted her to be his, both physically and emotionally, and she wouldn't give in- just yet.

He threw his head back into chair and sighed softly, realizing that this was it. Jackie was the one. He couldn't fathom a day without speaking to her, a night with sleeping next to her, a minute without thinking about what she was doing. And yet their relationship was based on a lie. Their relationship was based on lies, betrayal and hate.

They had no relationship.

And even though V knew getting into the relationship what was going to happen, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't help falling for her. And this worried him, because eventually the truth would come out. And instead of setting him free, it would damn him. To an eternity without her.

He focused on an old water stain in the ceiling, thinking about what had just transpired in the last couple of hours. He thought about the heists, Jackie and the fact that this was all he had. Letty was leaving soon and eventually he would be his own worst enemy. She was the one that rounded him off, she was the one that kept him grounded and even though he had fallen for Jackie, she didn't know it all.

Not like Letty, his Letty. He didn't need to explain himself or his actions, she just understood. She understood all the nightmares and the anger- she understood him. That's what kept their relationship together, the fact that they understood each other. The fact that even if no words were said, they understood each other with just one look.

Jackie drew in a deep breath and climbed out of the bed, making her way towards him. She walked over quietly, like as if breaking the silence that enveloped the room would break his concentration. V glanced over to her as she slid up to him. He moved his arm, allowing her to sit down on his lap.

Jackie brought her knees up and placed her head on them, staring at Vince. He sighed softly and turned towards her, locking in her stare. "I'm sorry. I just have a lot of things in my head right now," he whispered. _Like the fact that I'm lying to you. Like the fact that I'm losing sleep over the heists._ She offered him a small smile and continued to drink him in.

"I wish I had my guitar. Something to relax me," he whispered, reaching out and pushing back some of the hair that had fallen onto her face. "But you have me, Vince. You have me," she replied, leaning over and placing her head on his chest. She inhaled deeply and committed his scent to memory. Coronas, car grease, sweat and whatever bar of soap he grabbed in the shower earlier today.

V placed his head on top of hers, smiling softly as he ran his fingers through her silky, soft hair.

_What have I gotten myself into?_


	15. Saved

**Chapter 15: **Saved

Vince found himself sighing once again. It seemed like he had been doing a lot of that lately. It seemed like that helpless feeling had been taking a permanent residence in his mind. His heart felt heavy and his head seemed clouded, as he dropped his tired body onto the bed. He was fresh out of the shower and wrapped in a towel when his body decided to give out.

He stretched out on the bed, lacing his fingers together behind his head. For the first time ever, he was starting to feel past his age. He was starting to feel old. Like he should hang up the belt with all the notches and start thinking about the future. Letty seemed to be doing so. So did Jackie. The only ones that were officially stuck in living out their youth through racing and robbing trucks was Dom and the rest of the team.

What about him? Where was he going with all of this?

As Vince began to ponder answers to all of the questions in his head, his door opened and in slid Mia. He scrunched his eyebrows together as she made her way towards him, dressed in only a pair of lace panties and matching bra. He cocked his head to the side, a questioning look on his face.

Mia smirked and straddled him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "The teams at the garage working on a last minute order for one of Harry's big clients, so I figured…" she whispered. Mia reached down and untied his towel, revealing what she had spent the last several nights dreaming about. She smiled sweetly and kissed him once again before beginning to massage him.

Vince stared off into the wall, not believing that this was actually happening. It wasn't the fact that Mia was jerking him off, it was the fact that he wasn't getting hard. Any other day or time, he would've already had her against the wall, banging her brains out. But this time around, his mind was elsewhere.

Mia sighed and pulled away from him. "How long before you start picking up racer chasers again? You can't last forever without even a blowjob," she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, placing her hand on his thigh, slowly massaging it. V pushed her hand away and shifted his position in the bed, covering himself with the towel. "That's my problem."

She slid her hand underneath the towel and slowly began to massage him once again, secretly wishing that she could elicit a reaction from him. When he didn't respond to her in the matter she was expect, Mia cocked her head to the side and stared up at him, a slick smile on her face. "You fell in love with her already," she said.

Vince's eyes widened and he quickly shifted them off of her and focused on the far away corner of the room. Mia scoffed and stood up, pacing the space before his bed. She knew that Vince was in too deep. He loved her. He no longer looked twice at Mia. He no longer wanted her. He was all about Jackie now. She wanted for a response, but once again she didn't receive none. She took his silence as him speaking the truth.

"Dom's gonna be pissed," she said.

"You wouldn't dare," he said, standing up, wrapping the towel around him.

"I fucked up your guitar, I'll fuck up your relationship."

Vince reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her around and forcing her to look at him. His face was inches away from hers, his breath tickling her skin. "Stay out of my life and stay away from her!" Vince shouted, specks of his spit landing on her face.

Mia shoved him away from her and stood her ground. "She's a cop, V! I followed her the other day into a fed building downtown."

"Stay out of this."

"You're dick isn't that good that it will make her forget the fact that you're a career criminal."

"Dom said a few more heists and then we would be done."

"He said that before and look at you now. When you stop and the money runs out, what's next? Armored trucks? You go back to robbing trucks and using the garage and races as a cover."

"I'm getting out after this. I still have the money from the other heists."

"Yeah," Mia scoffed, "I don't think so. This girl is gonna bring you down. And I'll be there to tell you I told you so."

Vince drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep his composure. He was using all of the strength in his body to keep from grabbing Mia and kicking her ass. But he knew better. Mia was like his little sister. Mia used to be his crush. Mia used to be the one.

Now, not so much.

"Every time you open your mouth to spit your venom, I just want you to stop and think of Brian and the hell he put you through."

Mia froze and her body dropped like a ton of bricks onto the bed. She watched as Vince walked over to her and sat down on the bed, next to him. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around hers. "All those night you cried when you thought I was asleep. How you started drinking because you wanted to dull the pain. How you still drink because you can't let go of the pain," he whispered.

Tears began to run down Mia's face as she thought about the truth in his words. Emotions began to reemerge within her- emotions she had promised herself she would never let herself experience again. "You loved him, Mia. And we let him in for you. Because of you. Now it's my turn. Let me experience that," he said.

"I know and I carry that guilt with me everywhere. I blame myself because I opened the door to him and everything that followed."

"But now we're better. Now we're stronger, Mi. It was probably the best thing that could've happened to us."

"You make it sound so easy. Telling me to let go of him and the blame."

"How long, Mi? How long before you lose sight of yourself?"

"It's not easy, Vince. I can't just forget about him. It's like your scars. They are everywhere I go."

" Jackie showed me how to live with them. How to love them and accept the fact that they are me. They make me who I am."

"What if I let him in and shit happens all over again?"

"It's a part of life, Mi. Shit always happens, no matter what."

She placed her head on his shoulder and began to cry, slowly realizing that V was right. She had spent her entire life watching Dom and his boys, trying to be as carefree as them. But what she was really doing was holding on to nothing. She thought she could forget about Brian and all the pain he caused her if she lost herself in the next guy, who turned out to be Vince. Who she was doing more harm than good simply because it suited and entertained her. Vince, who had turned out to be her best friend.

_The one that would save her._

V's ears perked at the words that had just come out of Dom's mouth. He froze and pulled out from underneath the Supra he was working on. "Come again?" V said, gripping onto the wrench in his had, trying his hardest not to let it slip from his sweaty fingers. Dom stopped walking and glanced around him, turning back towards V. "I think you should invite Jackie over to dinner. Let everyone get a feel for who she is," he said.

Vince could only imagine the look on his face, realizing that his emotions were probably on display for everyone. He cleared his throat and nodded, getting back underneath the car. _Oh my god, they are gonna rip her a new one! I know it already. They will ask her all these ridiculous questions, make me look like an asshole by only reinforcing everything other people have already told her and them embarrass the shit out of me. _

Vince disappeared underneath the car and held his breath. Things couldn't get any worse for him. He now had to bring Jackie home to meet the rest of the team. He knew that if he didn't do as Dom asked, it would only prove one thing- V had fallen for her. But in the back of his mind, he was curious. A small movie played out in his head and he began to tinker on the car.

He pictured them sitting at the table, eating like a real family. Dom had Mia and Letty. Leon had Jesse. And he had Jackie. It was a perfect picture. The perfect family. After dinner, Mia would disappear into the kitchen. Letty would drag Dom upstairs. Jesse and Leon would disappear downstairs in the heat of some important argument about shock absorbers. And him and Jackie would stretch out on the couch. A new release on the television. Popcorn bowl in their laps. Beers dangling from their finger tips.

And at the end of the night they would go downstairs, cuddle up in the cold, dark basement and fall asleep together. No nightmares. A full night's rest.

_Like Jackie had saved Vince._

From that truck.

From himself.

V shook his head clear and rolled out from underneath the car, placing his wrench down on the ground. He stood up and wiped his hands on his rag, throwing it onto the hood of the car. He walked into the office and grabbed his cell phone and car keys from his locker, grabbing a clean shirt on the way out. After waving the team off and hopping into his car, Vince found himself driving off and heading towards Jackie's shop after making a quick stop.

There was no way out of it. He had to have her over for dinner. _I have to prove to the team that she's clean. That she's a good girl with a wicked side. That she's MY girl._ He pulled up to her shop and parked his car, slipping into his clean shirt as he walked across the street and entered the store with a shopping bag in tow.

As V walked into the store, he was approached by what looked to be a very energetic rabbit that was recently sprung from a trap. She circled him like a hawk and ran her eyes over him. For the first time in a while, V was actually feeling uncomfortable. He could feel her eyes studying the car grease stains on his knees. The dirt underneath his fingernails. His dirty hair.

"How can I help you?" She spat at him, an eyebrow cocked and a smirk on her face. "Just here to see the boss," he said, making his way through the store. She followed him, clearing her throat. "She's kind of busy right now. If this about a work order or delivery, I can sign for her," she said.

As they reached Jackie's office door, Vince turned on his heel and faced her. They bumped chests and all he could do was smirk back at her. "I got this," he said, placing one finger on her shoulder and pushing her away from him. Vince opened the office door and entered the office. He turned and found Jackie sitting at a desk, looking a horrible, horrid mess.

Her forehead was lined with sweat and her hair was up in a messy bun, pens sticking out of it. There was a measuring tape around her neck and she was furiously sewing and reading measurements off of a piece of paper. She glanced up as the door opened and jumped out of her seat, fabric flying everywhere. "V!" She said, walking around the desk and over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Hey, sorry I'm so gross. I'm on my lunch break from work," he said, as he peeled his arms from her sticky body. "It's okay. As you can see I'm not much cleaner also," she said, motioning to her sweat soaked clothes. "What's going on in here?" V asked.

Jackie shrugged and motioned around to the room. "I met with this local designer a few nights ago and so we agreed to come up with a collection together and sell it here. Maybe it'll take off," she said, catching a seat on the edge of her desk.

"We'll I'm glad I stopped by then. I bring goodies," he said, holding up the shopping bag. "I stopped by your local favorite dinner and the waitress was kind of enough to fill me in on your favorites. I guess this can be a congrats lunch thing."

J lunged for the food, not realizing how hungry she really was until the room began to fill with the smell of food. V held the bag out of her reach and pursed his lips, as if asking for a kiss. She climbed down from the table and wrapped her arms around his waist, standing on the tip of her toes and kissing him passionately.

They kissed for what seemed forever before V dropped his arm and let the bag come within reach of her. She reached out and snatched the bag from him, walking over to the other side of the desk. V plopped down into the chair and watched as Jackie methodically laid out lunch for them.

They ate in the stifling heat and chatted about the usual crap that had gone on today. When Vince was done with his bacon mac and cheese, he glanced up the broken air conditioning unit in the wall and frowned. "I'll come by after work tomorrow and fix that for you," he said, wiping some cheese sauce off of his beard.

Jackie shook her head and began to dispose of their lunch containers. "You've done enough for me, V. I can just call someone and they can stop by to fix it," she replied. V shook his head and stood up from the chair, stretching out his body. "Fine, if you won't let me do it out of the goodness of my heart, we'll go tit-for-tat. I'll fix the A.C. and you will join us for dinner tonight," he blurted out.

She froze and cocked her head as she glanced over to him. "First of all, I would love to go to dinner with you and your crew. Second of all, why are you making it sound like I'm going to regret it?" She asked. V awkwardly cleared his throat and jammed his hands into his pockets. He fell back into the chair and kicked his feet onto her desk.

Jackie walked around the desk and sat on the edge, facing him. He stared intently at her, trying to conjure up a way to convey what was currently going through his head. "Tonight could be the end of us, Jackie. I don't want this to end," he said quietly. She rolled her eyes and sighed softly. "What the fuck are you talking about, V? Why would dinner with Dom and the rest of them cause us to stop seeing each other?"

_Because if they even get a whiff of you being a cop Dom will most likely kill you._

"The team will probably bring up things. They will probably ask you questions. They will be their usual asshole selves. And they will probably tell you things about me that I don't want you to know," he said.

_Because you'll be disgusted with me._


	16. Complicated

**Chapter 16: **Complicated

She heard the car's rumbled from far away. No one in that neighborhood had a tuner, so her only guess was that it was V. And she was right, as she waited for him at the door, leaning against the frame, a small smile on her face. Vince couldn't explain the feeling that crept into him as she came up the stairs and found her waiting on him. With that smile. Like she was actually looking forward to him. Like he was a big part of her. Like he was all that mattered.

Just how he felt at the precise moment in time.

"I got you something," she purred, reaching out and grabbing his shirt, dragging him into the apartment. As they walked through the apartment, they began making out, V shedding his clothes along the way. She shoved him on to the bed and straddled him, pulling off the last of his tank tops.

They kissed passionately before pulling a part. Jackie glanced down to his crotch and found the tip of member sticking out. She cleared her throat and awkwardly motioned to it, before climbing off of him and walking towards the closet. By the time she turned back towards him, Vince had shed his boxers and was waiting happily for her return.

She stood in front of the closet, watching him stretched out on her bed, secretly wishing that he would never leave it. She returned with a shopping bag in tow, swinging it in front of her. She placed it next to him before climbing back on top of him. They continued to make out and she grinded on him slowly. As she felt Vince's fingers clasping on the waistband of her jeans, she was snapped out of her daze.

"Someone's a little eager." She pulled away and pushed his hand away, sliding off of him and pointing to the shopping bag. "Get dressed," she whispered, her voice hoarse from making out. He looks around confused, not quite understanding what was going on. He motions to his crotch and pouts. "I'll take care of you, later," she promised.

He stands up and grabs the shopping bag. Vince quickly changed into a black v-neck shirt, dark jeans, and a black studded belt. He turned around to put his wallet in his back pocket and when he turned back, she stood in front of him holding up a silver necklace. He took the necklace quietly and placed it around his neck, not quite sure how he was feeling. No one had ever gone out of their way to look out for him, no one other than Mr. Toretto.

He locked eyes with her, a small smile playing on his lips. Both of their outfits matched, another little detail that made his smile grow wider. She was going all out for him, for his team. His family. "This is really nice," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. "I made it all. Choose the fabrics cause they reminded me of you. The shirt is soft and smooth like your chest. The jeans… rough like your hands," she purred into his ears.

V blushed, placing a kiss on her forehead. He sighed softly and nodded towards the door. "Come on before the fam thinks I ran away with you," he said. They exited the apartment and chit chatted all the way to the fort. Vince was extremely nervous as he pictured the team grilling her about her life. He sighed softly as he led her through the house, towards the backyard.

The team was already sitting at the picnic table, waiting on him. "Hey, ya'll remember Jackie," he said. She waved at them, blushing slightly as the team each greeted them in her own way. Leon barked. Jesse whistled. Mia didn't glance her way. Letty nodded a 'wassup'. Dom was the only one that got out of his seat and held out a hand towards her.

They sat down and began to eat, bantering back and forth. Leon and Jesse soon enough began to argue about which spoiler would look better with which rims. Letty and Mia glared at each other over the mashed potatoes, while Dom just studied them.

V and Jackie spoke quietly to each other, smiles and laughter erupting from them every so often. Dom watched as V smiled from ear to ear, noticing that he had never seen him laugh so much. Had never seen him that happy. That's when he realized that she fit in perfectly with them. The fact that Leon and Jesse joked around with her like she was their little sister. That Letty seemed to admire her. That Mia was irked by her. That Vince was falling for her. And yet, something in the back of his mind told him that they weren't out of the woods yet.

After dinner was done, Jackie finds herself in the kitchen with Mia. She knew better than actually putting herself in a situation where she would be all alone with Mia, but the team sort of seemed to be expecting her to do so. So she went along with it, the least she could do was help her clean up after such a nice meal.

"So… you and Vince, huh? That seems to be working out," Mia said, passing her a wet dish. Jackie dried the dish and placed it in the cupboard. "Yeah, it's going great so far," she replied.

"Just be careful, ya know. He doesn't have the best reputation."

"Something I should be worried about?"

Mia handed her the last dish and turned off the water. She grasped the edge of the sink and smirked at her. "He's a player. A drunk. An asshole. If others haven't warned you about him, then none of them have your best interest in mind. Get away while you still can," she said.

J's mouth dropped open as she dried the last dish and placed it back in cupboard. She glanced at Mia, who smirked and turned on her heel to exit the kitchen. She shut the door to the cupboard quietly and turned towards Mia. The two locked stares before Mia nodded towards her and disappeared into the darkness of the living room.

Jackie dropped the dish towel on the counter and drew in a deep breath. She threw her hair over her shoulder and walked into the dark living room, where the team was watching a movie. She walked over to Vince and sat down next to him, staring intently at the television screen. "Everything okay?" V whispered, snaking an arm around shoulders. She looked over to him and nodded, confused about what she was exactly feeling. Part of her wanted to reach over and strangle Mia, the other part wanted to hit Vince over the head with a glass bottle. But what she did was snuggle into his side and push it all to the back of her head.

An hour later, the team was spread out around the house, each in their own corner of the fort getting ready for the night's races. And Vince and Jackie found themselves in his room. She slid into bed with him, purring softly. Vince smiled and drew her hand onto his chest. She began to pet him softly, kissing him softly on the neck.

"So… you said you would take care of me," he whispered. She laughed and climbed on top of him, kissing him softly. As they made out, he reached for her zipper and began to pull it down. She slaps his hand away. "You know, I don't think I can keep going like this," he said, playfully.

Mia's words rang out through her head as she pulled away from him. He instantly realized the look on her face as distrust and apologized. "I was just kidding," he added.

"It's okay. I understand. You're used to different things. Different types of women," she said quietly.

He sighed, knowing that it about time that they had that discussion. "I've been around, I'm not gonna lie. I have a reputation that follows me wherever I go. I'm an asshole. A hot head. But I'm trying. And I know we have a good thing going on here."

She chewed on her bottom lip, thinking of how to explain herself without breaking down. "I've been around also, V. But not by choice. I've been hurt. Beat up. You name it. I've been through it. So I always look out for myself, in and out of bed. There's no need for me to sleep around. All the satisfaction I need is from knowing that someone loves me," she said.

"You never get that urge?" He asked, twirling a piece of hair around his finger.

"I do. Just like everyone else. But I've come to love myself way too much for that. You gotta love me before I can love you," she whispered.

Before Vince could respond, Dom bellowed for them, which was a good thing. V wasn't quite sure what would've come out of his mouth next, but he had a good feeling that whatever it was it would only complicate things. So he kissed her quickly, before dragging her up the basement stairs and into his car.

---

At the races, Jackie saw things getting complicated. The skanks. Hector's boys. The other men. She was now different and untouchable to all of them. She was with Vince and Toretto's crew. It was clear through the fact that she showed up with them and Vince not separating himself from her the entire night.

So she found it weird when Vince and Dom started whispering to themselves. She found it even more awkward when Vince said that there wasn't going to be a party at the Torettos tonight. That he was tired and gonna hit the hay as soon as he got in.

Bullshit. She heard from Hector that the party had been postponed. The party was on but they was gonna be one less person attending. So Jackie bit her tongue as Vince drove her home, trying to control herself. Her mind was running a mile a minute, trying to figure out what he was hiding.

As soon as V pulled up to her curb, she had one hand on the door and turned towards him. "If this is about what I saw before, I completely understand," she said. And with that, she reached over and kissed him before climbing out of his car.

V yelled out after her and received no response. He sat in silence in his car, thinking of what went wrong. Before long he felt his cell vibrating in his front pocket. He sighed and turned his car on, disappearing into the night, heading towards the outskirts of town.

The heists had been moved up. He needed his head in the game right now.


	17. Love

**Chapter 17: **Love

As the sun was coming up, they all worked in silence. Hiding the evidence of their latest heist. The cars were covered. The gear was shoved into the trunk. The adrenaline was pushed down. When they were done, they all stared at each, wondering if this would be the last one. And like always, Dom's voice was the last one that rang out.

"Let's go home," he said, putting all their minds at ease- for now. V sighed, realizing what would happen next. The rush from chasing down these big rigs and getting off with their goods was starting to wear thin on them. Leon and Jesse would mostly likely go find some busters to race and then go home to get high. Letty and Dom would fight and then makeup. And Mia would drink herself into oblivion, only to come out to fuck him.

They all climbed into their cars and began the stressful trek back home, back to Echo Park. They were to drive at the speed limit and attract no attention. Ten miles away from the house, they were to each take a different route there, each making at least one stop. Make sure they have no tails.

But Dom wasn't surprised when in his rearview mirror he saw Vince breaking away from the pack. He instinctively knew where he was going. He drove straight there without a single thought, almost out of habit. He knocked on the door like he owned the place and when she answered, he picked her up like he owned her.

V kissed her, wrapping his arms around her ass and picking her up. He kicked the door shut and carried her into the bedroom. He placed her on the bed and continued to kiss her. As he reached for her pants, she slapped his hand away again. "Do you love me?" He whispered.

Jackie froze. For the longest she had told herself she wouldn't sleep with a man unless he truly loved her. But what about her? Was she in love with Vince? Was or had she fallen for him?

"I know that being alone in this apartment without you isn't no fun. I know that tonight I couldn't sit still. I felt like a stranger in my own home without you," she replied. He kissed her once again. "Do you love?" She asked him.

"I'm here because I love you. I want this to happen because I love you," he said. She kissed him back and he bit down on the bottom of her lip, grabbing onto the back of her head. He flipped them over on the bed and smiled at her.

"Do you love?" He asked her once again. She tried to get away from him, but he held on to her tightly. "I know you love me. Just let me hear you say those words," he said, a pleading tone in his words. She was thrown off by how insecure and small he sounded. She hadn't expected that from him- not the Old Coyote. She leaned into him, breathing heavily into his ear. "I love you." And something inside of her moved.

V leaned back, staring into her eyes. No other female other than his mother had ever said that they loved him. The fact that she said it and actually meant it, made him feel like he was on the right track in life. Made him feel like he was whole. He kissed her like as if his life depended on it.

Jackie pulled their shirts off and grinded into him softly. She purred as V held on to her hips and guided them into a rhythm. They madeout, V running his hands up and down the small of her back. She shivered, moaning at the feeling of his rough hands touching her bare skin. Jackie leaned over, running her hands over his bare chest, sucking softly on his neck.

He flips them over and stands up, removing the small dark blue panties she was wearing. He removed his clothes and climbed into bed with her. He climbed on top of her, sliding in between her legs. He kissed her nipples and slid up to her neck. "You don't have to do this. I'll love you regardless," he whispered.

"We've gone too far to turn back now," she said, kissing him. _If you only knew_, he thought to himself. Vince reached over the edge of the bed and pulled a condom from his pocket. He put it on and began to kiss her again. He thrusted into her, relishing the tightness surrounding him.

She gasped, moaning into his mouth and clenching her eyes shut. Jackie began to grin with him, moaning loudly into his ear. She burned the image of them together in the back of her mind. His chest on top of hers. His sweat on her. His heart racing. She grabbed on to his hair, tugging lightly as she felt herself nearing that edge.

His fisted his hands in her hair, mumbling for her to hang on. V thrusted harder and moaned louder. He felt her legs shaking as he brought her to her climax. He grunted as he did too.

Vince laid on top of her, hearing her heart beat and feeling her chest rise and fall. They panted heavily, laying on top of each other. She heard his stomach growl and she giggled. "A sandwich and another one of my casseroles?" She asked. V shook his head and glanced at the clock on her night stand. "I'm gonna need more than that."

He climbed out of the bed and began to change. "Come on, let's get some food," he said. He watched her change into jeans, flipflops and a wifebeater. He sported a surprised look on his face. "What? I can dress down sometimes," she replied, reassuring him that she could be simple and yet fashionable.

He grinned, his face breaking into a blush. "You might wanna do something about your hair," he said, motioning to the mirror. Jackie looked into the mirror and smiled, patting down her hair. "Sex hair. Don't get it too often, but it looks good," she replied. "Oh yeah, that's about to change," he said, creeping up behind her and kissing her neck.

They headed to the local diner, holding hands the entire way there. They sat by the window, watching the neighborhood around them come to life as everyone began to make their way to work or school. Jackie watched as Vince devoured a feast, only stopping briefly here and there to wipe away the food that had fallen onto his shirt.

When he was done, he sat back in the booth, rubbing his stomach. Jackie laughed as his eyes rolled back into his head. "Ate too much, huh?" She teased. He yawned, stretching his arms out. "You have a license, right?"

"Yeah. Why?" She replied.

"Come on. You drive me home so I can take a nap before work."

"Yeah, I don't think so. Aren't you guys territorial over your cars?"

"Yeah. That and our women. What's a better way to take care of them both by having the 2 together in one place?"

She laughed at his wack line and took the keys that he was holding out. They walked into the parking lot and Jackie nervously got behind the wheel. The entire way to the fort, Vince poked fun of her driving. She stuck to the speed limit and made complete stops. "Hector makes me abide by all the rules when I drive his baby. Trust me, I don't wanna fuck up and owe someone a car," she said.

"It's not that serious, you can break a few laws here and there. Plus, I'm a mechanic. I can get you a good deal on the repairs," he said, as she pulled the car into the driveway. "See you after work?" She said, leaning over for a kiss. He kissed her but cocked an eyebrow. "Come on in with me," he said.

She nodded and they climbed out of the car, heading into the house while holding hands. They were obviously to the eyes that were on them.

Mia stepped back from her bedroom window, letting the curtain fall shut. Her hand shook as she picked up the glass of whiskey and brought it to her lips. She took a sip, indulging in the slow burn. A small smile crept on to her face as she thought of the possibilities.


	18. Good for the Taking

**Chapter 18: **Good for the Taking

Jackie sat up in Vince's bed, not quite sure how she got herself into this situation. Vince was gone and was already at the shop, leaving her his car so that she could get to work, but what worried her was the fact that he texted her to let her know that Mia was home. Alone. With her.

She sighed softly and flopped back down into the bed, inhaling Vince's smell. Here it smelled like him strongly, while traces of his sweat, car grease, and cologne lingered at her place. Jackie picked her up phone, stared at the screen and tried to will herself to come up with some sort of witty remark. Her brain came up with nothing, as she tried to focus on how to either completely avoid running into Mia or how to completely avoid saying anything that would piss her off. Jackie wasn't one for mincing words, but as time went on and she learned more and more about her, she realized that it was just a matter of time before they came to blows.

As she began to type a response back to V, there was small knock on the door. She froze, hoping that if she didn't make any noise, whoever it was would go away. 2 seconds later, the door pushed open and Mia stuck her head through. "Hey, I managed to save you a plate while the guys devoured everything in the kitchen for breakfast. You can come up when you're ready," she said.

Jackie smiled back weakly, "thanks. I'll be up in a minute." As soon as Mia shut the door, Jackie rolled her eyes and grunted. There was officially no escaping her now. She climbed out of bed and slipped out of Vince's boxers and tank top, and into the clothes she wore this morning. She glanced into V's cracked mirror and ran her fingers through her hair before making her way upstairs.

As she entered the kitchen, she found Mia placing a massive sized plate on the table, complete with pancakes, biscuits, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Jackie whistled low, grabbing a seat and never taking her eyes off of the plate. "I can see why the guys worship the very ground you walk on, "she said, before starting to dig in.

"Yeah, they do," she drawled out slowly. Jackie's ears perked up at the way Mia's response was said. She lifted her eyes off of the plate in front of her and found Mia staring intently at her. "That's why those girls they pick up at races don't stand a chance. They are just simply skanks. Good for the taking," Mia said softly.

Jackie leaned back in her chair and pushed the plate of food away from her. She stared straight at Mia and contemplated her options. She could simply reach across this table and just choke her out. She could even kick her chair out from under her and spit in her face.

_She was good for the taking. _She could do so much and more, but she simply decided to take in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I gotta get to the store," she said, standing up from the kitchen table and exiting the room. Jackie hustled back into Vince's room to throw on her shoes and grab her cell phone. As she searched the messy room for Vince's car keys, she stumbled up a guitar case.

She ran her hands over the worn leather, feelings the years of wear and tear. Jackie opened up the case and shook her head softly at the damaged goods in front of her. She grabbed the guitar case and climbed up the bedroom stairs, heading to V's car.

As she pulled out of the driveway, she quickly glanced in the rearview mirror and found Mia watching her from the living room window. A shiver ran through Jackie's body as she turned off the driveway and continued to drive down the street.

Jackie made her way to her side of town, her mind working a mile a minute. She thought about Mia's words and how they were clearly directed towards her. _Good for the taking._ Is that was V was doing? Using her? She shook her head at the thought, knowing that if that was what he wanted, he could've easily broken things off with her, but here she was- driving his car.

She sighed softly, realizing that maybe Mia was jealous of what her and V had. Jackie pulled into the store's parking and shut the engine off, pondering what her next move would be. She had already done everything she said she wasn't going to do- let Vince in, sleep with him, etc.

_And now she really was good for the taking._

She grabbed Vince's guitar from the back seat and entered the store, making a master plan in her head as she headed towards her office. Jackie spent the next couple of hours, slowly trying to put his guitar back together. The guitar would be useless by the end of it all, but at least he would be able to look at it and channel the memories that it held for him.

After finishing and closing up shop, she headed to the supermarket and decided to load up on food and cleaning supplies. She realized that she definitely missed having a car. It made getting things done so much easier, as she only had to make one trip for everything.

Jackie spent the next couple of hours cleaning her apartment and following some recipe she had gotten off of the internet. As she cooked and cleaned, she realized what she was doing- nesting. She was trying to create a home for Vince. This thought struck fear in her very being. What if he wasn't interested in having a home with her?

She flopped down on the couch, frowning slightly at the thought of him coming over and freaking out at the sight of it all. Jackie didn't have much time to meditate on that one. The door bell rang and she could hear V's impatient huffing and puffing at the door.

"Coming," she hollered, swinging the door open and showing him her organized apartment. He whistled, stepping lightly throughout the apartment. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" He sang, waving his hands around the room. She chuckled. "Well after spending the night at your place, I realized we lived too much alike. We should have a decent place to come home to," she replied.

"And it gets better!" She said, like a school yard girl, running into the bedroom. V followed her, an eyebrow cocked, not knowing what to expect. When he entered the room, she found her standing in front of the closet. He looked inside the closet and saw a small sliver of space, featuring one lonely hanger. "I got you a hanger. I figured since you spend so much time here, you can leave some clothes here."

Vince laughed whole-heartedly and reached into the closet, grabbing the hanger. "What? A single shirt?" She laughed. "You know, a shirt and maybe a pair of jeans, if we iron them first. Do you know how many shirts got the axe for that one hanger, for you?" He chuckled and threw an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head.

"I could get you a nicer and bigger place, you know. Maybe even a car to help you get around," he whispered, rubbing her lower back. As those words slipped through his lips, he felt his heart drop. He never saw himself living with anyone, let alone buying someone a nice apartment or car. _It's not like I'm using the money from the heists for anything, it's just sitting in a locker._

_He was officially good for the taking._

Jackie took a step back, untangling herself from him. She shook her head softly. "Too much, too fast," she whispered. _There are things you don't know about me, things I haven't told a soul yet._ Vince shook his head also. "I understand, you don't think we'll make it much longer, huh?" He said, turning and walking out of the room.

_Which we probably won't. Once you find out about me, about why I started to romance you, you'll be done with me forever. We might as well go our separate ways now._

"Don't be mad, V. I know it's in your male genes to want to take care of your females, but I've been on my own since I could remember. It's hard to let someone in and have them do everything for you. To have to depend on them," she said, following him through the apartment.

They had made it to the living room, when he turned around and found her standing behind him holding his guitar. "It doesn't work, but I figured you can hang it up and keep it for the memories, you know," she whispered, hoping that he would take it as a peace offering.

V froze, his chest and throat tightening up at the sight of his guitar in one piece. He could see where she had glued the pieces together, trying to put back what once was. "I think it's funny, you know, in the right light the glue looks like little scars," she said, "Somewhere along the line, this guitar could've been abused or been involved in a truck heist. There's a story here that hasn't been told yet."

He blinked the tears away, but knew that they were building up. He took a deep breath, his voice cracking. "It was my father's. The only thing good thing he ever gave me or taught me how to do before he up and left us," he cried. Jackie slid up to him, wrapping her arms around him. Tears started to flow down his face faster, as her warmth enveloped him. He opened his mouth and the words were right at the tip of his tongue, but all he could do was yell them inside his head, because even if he his whispered them out loud, it would mean losing her.

Losing this very moment.


	19. Alone

**Chapter 19: **Alone

As the weeks went by, Letty and Vince found themselves in Letty's car, cruising from the beach to the house. They sat in awkward silence as they both had unspoken thoughts to share with each other. It felt wrong to hold things back from each other, but some secrets were better left unsaid.

"I…." Letty began to say, hesitant to speak those words. "I am in love with this chick, Let. I'm fucked," V stammered out, slamming his hands on the dashboard. She glanced over to him wide eyed and laughed. "I'm leaving Dom," she said, challenging his declaration.

"What?" He drawled out, not believing his ears. "Where? When? What the fuck? What about the rest of us?" Letty shrugged. "I don't know. San Francisco? Santa Monica? Anywhere but here. Somewhere where there are no races, no tuner cars and nobody knows me."

"So you're out? No more heists?" He questioned, a scowl on his face. "Like Dom says, only a few more, and then we are out," she replied.

"And 2 months later, we're back at it again," he whispered, picturing what life without Letty would be like. They drove in silence for a while, both picturing a future without each other. "I guess I should've seen it coming for a while now. You're not happy here anymore. You've always been here, for me, for everything and now you're gone. You've been gone."

"And that's the problem, V. I've been here forever. I've been for too long. I have no life. No personality. I don't know who Letty is anymore. All I know is who Dom is, what the team is, but alone I'm lost," she replied, as she pulled the car into the driveway. "What about me, Let? You're not just leaving him and them. You're leaving me too," he barked, opening the car door and slamming it forcefully after him.

_Alone. He was now alone with everything and everyone._

Dom slid out from under his car, wiping his hands on a car greased filled rag. "How is the investigation going, Double Oh Hoe?" He asked, standing up from the ground. Vince faked laughter and flipped him the bird. "Nada, so far. I've checked her bank records, files at home and in the shop. She's legit," he replied. "What about her apartment and store lease?" Dom asked, motioning for V to help him lower the car hood.

"I'm on that next," V replied, lowering his side of the car hood. "Stay on her. We got a big one coming up in a few weeks. With this one, we can finally retire," Dom said. Vince scoffed and walked off, tired of hearing the same line from Dom.

Vince slipped into his room and found Letty stretched out on the bed reading a car magazine. He kicked the edge of the bed, a scowl on his face. "While Dom plots our last heist," he said sarcastically, "you want to go for a drive?" She slapped the magazine down by her side, accepting his invitation as an apology.

They left the house, hopping into Letty's car and taking off into the darkness. Dom watched from his perch on the side of the house as her rear lights disappeared down the street. Little by little, he felt like his family was slipping through his fingers. V and Letty were getting farther and farther away as the time went by.

_He felt utterly alone as he took a sip of his Corona and went into his garage._

They sat on the curb, drunkenly giggling listening to the phone ring on speakerphone. Jackie's voicemail picked up for the 5th time that night and Vince groaned. "I'll just text Leon to come and get us," Letty slurred, opening her phone and hitting keys. He sighed, placing his elbows on his knees. V shook his head, feeling the anger build up in him again.

"I can't believe she's not picking up," he yelled, shoving his phone into his pocket. "Easy, bro. She's probably asleep or something," Letty replied. "Or something," he muttered, glaring at her.

Letty held her hands up, not trying to get into it with Vince. "Don't take the anger you have towards Dom and me, out on her. If anything, you should be relying on her to fill the gaps," she said.

"Gaps? One of my best friends is taking off to God knows where and the other one is forcing me to lie to the woman that I love!" He yelled.

Right on time, Leon's car pulled up to them. V and Letty struggled to get up off the curb and when they did, Letty placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to face her. "Last time I checked, you could leave with me too. No one is forcing you to stay here and be his lap dog," she said. Vince slapped her hand away and opened the car door. Before climbing in, he turned and glared at her. "You see, there's thing called loyalty, Let. I am loyal to my brother, to my family." Letty swallowed the lump in her throat and climbed into the car after him.

_Even in a car full of people, she felt alone._

Vince tossed and turned the entire night, grunting in his sleep. Even asleep, he was fuming at the thought of Letty leaving him. He was even madder at the fact that he had finally found someone special to be in his life and she wouldn't be around to see their relationship grow, and that's if she never found out what Dom had put him up to.

When he woke up in the morning, his head was spinning and his stomach was turning. Even semi-sober, he got his cell phone and checked to see if he had any missed phone calls. V growled looking at all the phone calls he had placed to Jackie within the last 6 hours, all unreturned.

He dialed her number again, slamming his fingers into each button. He waited impatiently as the phone rang. Jackie picked up the phone, yawning softly. "Hey sweetie," she said. "Where the fuck have you been?" He barked into the phone.

Silence filled the line for a few moments. "Excuse me?" She replied quietly. Vince huffed and got out of bed. "I'm on my way to pick you up. We have shit to discuss," he barked into the phone before hanging up.

He threw his clothes on in record speed and even skipped breakfast as he stormed out of the house and got into the car. Vince knew he was letting his temper and stress get the best of him and he broke several different traffic laws as he drove to Jackie's place. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, but the more he thought about it, the harder he pressed onto the gas.

As he pulled up to Jackie's curb, he found her already outside. She climbed into the car and slammed the car door shut. Jackie hadn't even had time to put her seatbelt on when whipped his car away from the curb. "What the fuck is eating you?" She asked, securing her seatbelt.

"Where the fuck where you all last night? I spent the entire night calling you and you didn't even have the decency to call me back. I could've been dead in a ditch somewhere. Shot and left for dead," he barked, weaving his way through traffic. Jackie raised her eyebrows at him. "Really? Dead? Shot and left for dead? And how would all of this have happened? At the garage? The races? Or are you robbing trucks again?" She replied, knowing that the last part was a low blow.

"When I fucking call you, you pick up. I don't care what your excuse is but you will respond to me. I want to know where you are at. I don't need you taking off and start gallivanting all over town," he stammered out, the rage visible in his face. At that moment, he pulled up to the front of her store.

Jackie drew in a deep breath and unbuckled her seat belt. She turned around and faced him, her face straight. In one swift move, she spit on his face. "Don't you ever talk to me like that again. As a matter of fact, don't talk to me at ALL, ever again. I am not your property Vince. I will come and go as I please. And right now, I am leaving. Permanently," she yelled, before climbing out of his car and slamming the door shut.

Jackie didn't turn or stop to look at him, she simply kept on walking. She walked into the store and headed directly into her office, before collapsing in a dark corner and beginning to cry.

Vince's car still stood at the curb, his hands gripped tightly on steering wheel. He drew in deep breaths and let them out slowly, before wiping the spit off of his face. Tears streamed down his face as his heart began an internal battle. Half of him was glad that things were over between them. He no longer had to worry about her being cop, or about him lying to her, or about her getting caught up in his criminal lifestyle. The other half of him was dying slowly.

She was gone.

Letty was going to be leaving soon.

_He was alone._


	20. Hide

**Chapter 20: **Hide

Vince slammed his car door shut, feeling the car vibrate with the amount of force behind him. He stretched his neck, making his way towards the garage. He needed to keep his mind off of what just transpired between him and Jackie, and there was only one way to do that- under a car.

_He wanted to hide underneath that car and take out all of his frustration on it._

As he entered the garage, Vince found several team members standing in a circle, quietly talking amongst themselves. They froze and turned towards him, the faces lined with scowls. "What?" He grunted, heading towards a car he had been working on yesterday. "So….. the buster," Letty began, nodding with her head towards the garage's office.

He froze, gripping his fists tightly and sauntering over. He stood in the office's doorway and found Dom and Brian sitting at the desk. He cocked an eyebrow at Dom and waited for a response. "We're working it out, V," Dom replied. Brian looked between Dom and Vince, expecting blows to rain down on him at any minute.

V scoffed and shook his head, before walking out of the office and heading back over to the car he was working on previously. "When it rains, it pours," he muttered, sliding under the car and putting his head phones on.

_Where he could hide temporarily from the world._

Mia wiped the counter down for the 30th time that day, her very pores starting to smell like Lysol. She sighed, grabbing her textbook and flipping it out to the chapter she was supposed to be studying for the last 2 weeks, but couldn't manage to spend more than 30 minutes on it without falling asleep.

She began to scan the pages, trying to make it all make sense somehow. She groaned, crossing her arms over the textbook, and placing her head on them. She heard heavy boot steps enter the store and her head snapped up, expecting Dom or one of the team members to come strolling in. Her heart dropped, taking in the man in front of her.

"We don't sell tuna anymore," she said, getting back to her textbook, flipping the pages absentmindedly. "I'm not here for the tuna," he whispered, sliding onto a stool. Mia cleared her throat, motioning for him to get it over with. "I love you," he said, clasping his hands in front of him. She slammed the book shut and then slapped him across the face.

"You deserve more than that and when Dom finds out that you're back, he's gonna give it to you," she said, reaching over and grabbing the wall phone. "I already went and saw him," he replied. Mia placed the receiver slowly back on the cradle. She turned and faced him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And you lived to see another hour?" She whispered, staring at her shoes. Brian sighed. "For now. He said it was your choice. Your heart," he replied, standing up and walking around the counter. He faced her, placing his hands on her arms. "I just need to know that we still have a chance. That you'll even acknowledge my existence. I don't expect things to go back to the way they w-"

She cut him off, pressing two fingers across his lips. Mia shook her head softly, her body slightly trembling. "You just left, Brian. You didn't look back, didn't even bother to ask me if I wanted to go with you. Why should I even bother with you if you are just going to run away again?"

"I had to leave. I had to make sure that I was far away from you. If I stayed, I would've ruined your life. I thought bringing Dom back for you would make everything alright, but the guilt was eating me alive, Mi. I need you in my life," he whispered, putting her hand on top of his heart.

"Things have changed. I have changed," she said, stepping away from him. "It doesn't matter to me. I'll love you no matter what, Mi." She smiled softly, both at his arrogance and at the evil thoughts going through her head. "I need time, Bri," she whispered, turning to face him.

_Time to hide her past, now that he had come back into her present._

Vince pushed through the work day, pushing himself to the limit. He skipped lunch with the team, to avoid talking to any of them. He needed the silence and the distraction to keep his mind off of Jackie and Brian. He was too stressed out to even be civil to anyone at this point. In the back of his mind, he feared being alone the most. With Brian back and clearly in Dom's good graces, he knew that he might not have a place on the team much longer. He could hear through the music blasting in his head phones, that everyone was having a blast. It was déjà vu all over again for Vince- everyone was having a grand old time while he was on the outskirts.

_Which is why he always hid behind the scowl. He would play his part._

He slid out from underneath the car, proclaiming it finished and deciding that he liked being alone. It meant less stress, less heart ache and less bullshit. As he wiped his hands on a rag, Dom entered the garage and approached him.

"You put in a lot of wrench time today," Dom said. Vince grunted in response. Dom ran a hand over his smooth head and sighed. "I thought we were in a good place man? But I have this insane feeling that you're about to revert back to the old Vince."

V sighed and threw the rag across the room, before turning and facing Dom. He threw his arms up in the air, exasperated. "You got the buster back, you're family is complete. What more do you want from me?" Vince took in a deep breath, trying to measure his words carefully.

_He knew he could never really hide his feelings from Dom._

"You're my brother, V. You have always been my right hand man. When I was locked up, you were the only person I knew I could count on to look after my family. When the garage was going under, I knew I could count on you to have my back. To work 50 hours a week to make ends meet with me. You were there right by my side and I want you to continue to be," Dom replied.

"Yeah. I was right there all that time. To work 50 hours a week. To rob trucks. To beat up people for money. To run your little errands. And what do I have to show for it? Scars? A room in your basement? A car to call my own? I can't even have a normal relationship!" V barked back.

Dom chuckled. "Is this what this is all about? A girl? You have got to be kidding me!" He yelled. Vince stepped closer to him, breathing deeply. "She's just not a girl, Dom. She's the girl. She's what Letty is to you. And now… I got nothing," he said.

Dom nodded, understanding what he was going through. There was a time when he didn't have Letty, when he was trying to court her and prove his worth. But there was also a time when he decided that he didn't give a fuck. If Letty wanted him, she would have to meet him half way.

"If she doesn't know anything about us, what are you worried about? If you fucked up your relationship with her because you decided to be a jackass, then that's your fault! Don't bring me into it," Dom barked back, before turning on his heel and heading towards the door.

"We're going to the ChaChaCha tonight. Edwin's having a party," he shouted over his shoulder. Vince started after him, his chest heaving in anger. He kicked an oil can at his feet before walking over to his car.

_He figured he could hide behind the scowl as much as possible tonight. If not, the whiskey would do the rest of the job._

The team leaned against the bar, Coronas in each of their hands. They threw their heads back and laughed at whatever witty remark Brian said, while V since stood in the shadows and drank straight from the bottle of whiskey in his hand. He scowled and grunted, not really giving a damn at making friends or even being cordial towards Brian.

And then the atmosphere changed, as the ChaChaCha's doors open and Hector's crew walked in. Vince's mouth dropped a little as he saw her stroll in. They walked in; she strolled in, flipping her long, wavy hair over her shoulders. She flashed her million dollar smile at everyone as they greeted her.

Her and Hector walked around the room, checking in with all the different crews that filled the medium sized Mexican restaurant. As they approached Dominic, Hector simply nodded, waiting for Dom to make the first move. Vince stared straight at Jackie, drinking in her skin tight jeans and the low cut top she was wearing. She wouldn't meet his eyes, nodding towards all of the team. "Hector!" Dom said, slapping the man on the shoulder.

"Torreto, "Hector responded, a small smile on his face. The two men shook hands, before Hector nodded towards Brian. "What's homie doing around here?" He asked. Dom shrugged. "He likes Mia's tuna, what can I say?" He joked, as Brian wrapped an arm around her waist. Hector nodded, before motioning to Letty and Mia. "First rounds on me, ladies," he said, before walking over to the bartender.

Vince grunted, before slamming his now empty bottle of whiskey on the bar's counter and disappearing into the crowd. "What's up his ass?" Brian asked, staring after him. Letty chuckled. "Homeboy's in love," she sang, taking a swing from her beer. Brian scoffed and placed a kiss on Mia's cheek. "She's completely changed him. Made him a better man," Letty stated, staring directly at Mia, who glanced away nervously. Letty smirked, realizing that she hadn't told Brian what her and V had been up to. Brian glanced between Letty and Mia, not giving away that he was understanding their silent interaction. He stood up from his perch and motioned to the crowd. "I'm going to go look for Dom," he said, walking away.

His eyebrows scrunched together as he thought about Vince and Mia together. He knew things would go on without him, but he never thought it would be with him. He never actually gave Vince any credit. He never thought Mia would go for him. He scanned the crowd for Dom, seeing if he would be able to shed any light on what went on while he was gone. As he searched and did not find him, he decided on a dark corner.

_Where he could hide his worries and observe quietly._

Vince moved through the crowd fluidly, the whiskey pumping hard through his veins. He spotted her in the middle of the dance floor and slid up to her. "I need to talk to you," he yelled over the music. Jackie shook her head and pushed him away, continuing to dance. V growled before grabbing her arm and dragging her towards a quieter corner.

"Can we talk, please? Without making a scene in front of all of these people?" He asked. She sighed softly and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him angrily. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it like that, okay? I was just having a horrible night and day, and you were the only person there for me to take my frustration out on," he said.

"I'm sorry that you had such a crappy ass night and even crappier day, V, but you can't take it out on me whenever you feel like it. You can be as hard as you want with everyone else, but I've never given you the impression that I am just like everyone else," she responded.

"You didn't pick up the phone, so I came up with like 50 different scenarios. I lost it. I'm sorry. Just…" Vince stopped himself, taking in a deep breath. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging softly on his hair. He took a step towards her, placing a leg between hers. V placed an arm on either side of her, placing his face in the crook of her neck.

He inhaled slowly, drawing in her sweet vanilla smell. "Please don't leave me," he whispered in her ear, ashamed that he was begging her. He felt Jackie draw her arms around him, bringing him closer to her. V heard her sniffle softly and he placed a small kiss on her neck. "Can we go outside and talk?" She whispered.

_She needed to hide to reveal her scars._

Brian was pulled out his trance as Dom loomed over him. "What's up with them?" Brian asked, nodding towards Vince and Jackie leaving the building. "He's pulling a Spilner on her," Dom drawled out, a smirk on his face. Brian scoffed. "That'll never work, Dom. You didn't learn the first time around?"

Dom ran a hand over his head and stretched his neck out. "Mia has her suspicious also. She followed her around and she ended up in the fed building once. Vince was on point with you, I figured he could handle her too," he replied. Brian laughed and slapped Dom on the shoulder. "Yeah, only difference is, is that I have a set of balls."

"Check her out, will you? I don't think V's making much headway, well in that area anyway," Dom chuckled. They parted ways, as Dom disappeared into the crowd to look for Letty. Brian glanced around for Mia and found her busy with Leon. He chose that time to follow Vince and Jackie out the door.

_Time to see who's hiding what._

Vince and Jackie walked around the restaurant, standing in the shadows. As she turned to face him, he could see a look of sadness cross her face. She reached down and pulled up the hem of her shirt showing him the scars that adorned her lower waist and abdomen. "Every scar tells a story, V. Just how yours tell that stupid story of you climbing up on a truck, mines tell a sad story 17 years long," she said, pacing in front of him.

"Do you know why I never let anyone in? Because my mother let someone in. Because he did this to me and my family for years on end, until I finally got fed up and ran. Hector and his family took me in. And to this day, I thank him for saving my life."

"I'm sorry, "Vince said, stepping towards her. She pushed his hands away and drew in a deep breath. "That's how he started, V. He started all nice. Swept all of us off of our feet. The he started putting all of us on the leash. Wanted to know where we were at all times of the day. Then he started cutting and beating us. And then… he killed her, Vince. Hit her so hard she never opened her eyes again," she whispered.

Her eyes were clenched shut by the time she finished and tears were streaming down her face. He wrapped his arms around her, leaning against the side of the restaurant and they slid to the ground together. Vince held on to her tightly, as she sobbed into his arms. "I'll never hurt you, Jackie," he whispered, "you're all I got. You're the only innocent thing in my life."

As Vince was consoling Jackie, Brian stood on the corner of the restaurant, listening to her story. He took mental notes, and while he felt for her sob story, he knew he needed to double check it also. He continued to lurk in the shadows, watching them.

Jackie and Vince stood up, wiping the dirt off of their pants. They stood up and faced each other, not knowing where to go from here. V reached over and wiped the wet mascara off of her face. "I need a cigarette and some whiskey," she whispered, inhaling slowly. "I need you to come home with me tonight, "he whispered back, pulling her into his arms and kissing her softly.

_He needed to hide all of his deep, dark secrets inside from her._


	21. A Rock and a Hard Place

**Chapter 21: **A Rock and a Hard Place

Jackie leaned against the porch railing, throwing her head back and blowing out smoke slowly. She glanced at the cigarette in her hand and shook her head softly, relishing the feeling. Her mind floated to flashbacks of the quickie Vince and her managed to slip in on their way back to the fort. She hid in the shadows of the porch, pondering her next move. She saw the worry in Vince's eyes as he told him her story.

_She was stuck between a rock and a hard place_.

He had to know, she told herself. She was trying to convince herself that telling V her story was not showing him her weakness. Years of abuse had taught her to never show fear, never give away your weakness. But Vince…. Jackie sighed. Vince put her fears to rest. It was something about the way he held her. The way his strong arms felt wrapped around her. The way his ocean blue eyes made her believe in every word he said.

Brian stepped out onto the back porch, and handed her a Corona. "Taking it easy, huh?" He asked, holding it out to her. With her free hand, she gladly accepted the Corona, needing something more to take the edge off of the night's events. It wasn't easy reliving her childhood with Vince.

"Thanks," she replied, taking a long swig. "So your Hector's cousin, right?" He asked, taking a seat in a chair on the porch. Jackie cocked an eyebrow and nodded. She really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone strangers she just met 15 minutes ago. She wanted to be alone tonight, but Vince insisted she come home with him and spend the night at the fort. "You're Brian, right? The cop?" She knew she was testing the waters, but she hoped he got the message- she wasn't interested in anybody's pleasantries.

He scoffed. "Ex-cop. Got Dom and your boyfriend off, and here I am. What about you? You a cop? Know any cops?" He asked. Jackie froze, her eyebrows sliding together. "I have a feeling you hang out with a lot of cops." She flicked her cigarette at Brian's feet and stepped away, walking into the house. She was no longer interested in having a conversation with him. Brian followed her, grabbing her arm and forcing her to face him.

Instead, she swung her hand and the Corona bottle in it, into his face, sending glass shards everywhere. Jackie saw red, blocking out all the raised voices around her. As Brian kneeled and covered his face, she kicked him in the ribs. She was getting ready to do more damage when she felt strong arms come from behind her and pull her away.

_She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fight or flight instinctively kicked in._

Jackie was dragged out of the kitchen and thrown onto the couch. As she stood up, she came face to face with Dom. "Down," he barked, pointing at the couch. "You'll have to kill me first," she said, stepping into his face. Dom reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, getting ready to shove her onto the couch, when she head butted him.

He shoved her anyways and Jackie fell onto the couch. She began to kick and claw at him, screaming at the top of her lungs. In her mind, she was transformed back to her childhood home. She could clearly see him standing over her, getting ready to beat her senseless, and she did what she couldn't do when she was 12. She fought back.

At that very moment, Vince stepped into the room and pulled Dom off of her. "Don't touch her," he barked, standing between them. The air in the room froze as Jackie stood up from the couch and faced them all.

Blood from where she had head butted Dom and tears were flowing freely down her face. Her chest heaved as she sobbed quietly and began to arrange her clothes. Vince turned and took a step towards her, but she began to scream at the top of her lungs. He shushed her, holding his hands out in front of her. "I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered, taking another step towards her.

She shook her head and took a step back, stepping behind a living room chair. "Get Hector," she cried, lowering herself behind the chair, trying to control her breathing. "Okay," Vince responded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He stepped into the kitchen to call Hector quietly.

The team followed V into the kitchen, where Mia was tending to Brian's wounds and Dom was holding an icepack to his forehead. "What the fuck was that? That chick is not all there," Letty said, cleaning up the glass from the floor. "It was like, she was fine one minute, and when I grabbed her, she just lost it," Brian said, wincing as Mia disinfected the cuts on his face.

"We all have a past, brother. Hers apparently is not much better than ours," Leon said, grabbing a soda from the fridge. Vince hung up the phone and walked over to them. He flopped down into a kitchen chair and ran a hand over his face. "What the fuck just happened?" He whispered to himself, hiding his face in his hands.

Ten minutes later, they heard the faint sound of tuner engines gunning up their street. Dom sighed, knowing that Hector walking in on that scene was going to cause only more drama, and if it didn't, it would definitely cause friction on the streets. He heard a car pull into his driveway and then footsteps walking up the path. Not before long, Hector's bald head popped into the kitchen's back door.

"What happened?" He demanded, his hands in fists. Everyone in the kitchen stared at each other, some not knowing what to answer and others not knowing where to begin. "Dom," he warned sternly, knowing that if he didn't get the answers he wanted soon, he was going to have to go to certain extremes. "She was talking to Brian and then she flipped out. Hit him in the face with a Corona bottle," he replied, motioning to the bloody man in the corner.

Hector stepped into the room, a couple of his boys stepping in after him. Dom stood up, facing them. Hector held up a hand and shook his head. "What did you say to her and did you lay a finger on her?" Hector asked menacingly, his questioned directed towards Brian. Brian sighed and shook his head slowly. "I was just trying to get to know her. She took it the wrong way and ran out. When I tried to stop her, she clubbed me in the face with a bottle, bro," he replied.

Hector shook his head slowly, running a hand over the top of it. "She ever tell you her story?" He asked, motioning to Vince. He nodded in response, at a loss for words at what was currently going on. "I'm guessing she left out about half of it. The half that probably just sent her into hysterics," he said.

Leon peeked into the living room and glanced back at them. "She's not looking too good, guys. You need to sort her out first," he said, holding open the kitchen door.

Hector stepped into the living room, hearing her quiet sobs. He found Jackie crouched behind a living room chair, her body shaking. "Hey, hermana," he whispered, reaching out to touch her. The entire team entered the living room after him, in case he needed any support- both physically and emotionally. "Hector, he's a cop," she cried, her voice shaking.

"I know, but he's not going to hurt you. No cop is ever going to hurt you again, babygirl. I got your back," he whispered, reaching out and helping her stand up slowly. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, as she turned and faced everyone. "I'm sorry," she whispered, imagining all the damage she must have done to them all.

"It's okay," Hector said, running a hand over her head and placing a small kiss on her forehead. "Everything is forgiven, hermana. They didn't know," he whispered. Hector motioned for his boys and he draped a sweater across Jackie's shoulder before they escorted out of the house.

Hector sighed and faced the team, a scowl plastered on his face. "Where you questioning her?" He asked. "Did you think she was some undercover agent? Maybe she was wearing a wire? Maybe she's a crack head looking for some money, so she's a police informant?" The team looked at each other, some hoping that the ground would open up and swallow them whole. "You!" He yelled, turning towards Vince. "Where were you when Brian was interrogating her?" He yelled.

"He had nothing to do with this," Dom said, stepping up to Hector. He knew that this was all happening because of him. He needed to accept responsibility for whatever it was that had just happened. Hector scoffed and chuckled to himself. "Let me guess, you thought she was a cop and you had Brian start to ask her questions about being a cop or about knowing any cops. I'm surprised she didn't lose it when she found out Brian used to be a cop," he replied.

"What's wrong with her?" Letty asked, a worried look on her face. "There is nothing wrong with her!" Hector roared back. He turned towards Vince and stared at him intently. "Do you know why it took her so long to escape from that hell hole? Why she suffered for 17 years? Because he was a cop. Because no one would believe the word of a 12 year old over that of a decorated police officer. Because he was untouchable and every scar on her body proves it," he said.

Hector turned and headed towards the door. "Give her time, she'll come around when she gets over the embarrassment. She'll tell you her story when she's ready," he said, before exiting the house and heading towards his car. The team stared after him, wondering what was next.

_They were all between a rock and a hard place now._

Vince spent the entire night tossing and turning, worried about Jackie. And as he spent the next entire day in the garage, putting in wrench time, he felt the guilt get heavier and heavier, until he couldn't take in a deep breath without feeling like he was going to cry. And as the day went by, he grunted more and spoke actual words less. "It's not your fault," Dom said to him, handing him a Corona, as they set up the backyard table for their ritual barbecue.

Vince shook his head softly. "If I hadn't brought her around, she wouldn't have had to relive it all," he replied. "You're right. But it was my choice to send Brian after her. My choice to believe Mia after she saw her going into the Fed building." V turned and faced Dom. "She was in that Fed building because the bastard is going up in front of the parole board. After torturing her family for years and killing her mother, the bastard was finally getting out. She went to see if there was anything that she could do to get him to stay locked up," he said.

"I was wrong, Vince. I rarely am, but when I am, I admit it," Dom said, taking a swig from his own beer."I'm gonna have to tell her the truth," Vince whispered. Dom nodded, lifting his beer and clinking it with V's. "That is your choice, but if you love her, and you tell her, you'll lose her," he replied. "And now is your chance," Dom said, slapping a hand on Vince's shoulder and motioning behind him. He soon disappeared into the house, to hide out from the fallout that was about to ensue.

Vince turned around and found Jackie standing behind him, a weak smile on her face. In her hands she held a 6-pack of Coronas. "A peace offering," she said, holding out the beers to him. In three giant steps, Vince walked over to her, and enveloped her in his arms. He held her tight, breathing in her scent. "I'm so sorry," he said, continuing to crush her. "I didn't know and if I did I would've kept Brian away from you."

Jackie struggled to get her breath and pushed Vince away, pushing her hair out of her face. "I just… reacted. He started asking me about cops and then the fear started to build up. Like he knows him or something. And next thing I know, he grabs me and I lose it. I am so sorry, Vince. I didn't mean to flip out and attack him like that. Dom must be pissed at me," she rambled on, placing the beers on the table.

Vince stood still, listening to her ramble and wring her hands together. A somber look crossed over his face as he tried to come up with the right words. "I didn't expect to fall in love with you," he whispered. He nervously placed his hands in his pockets, trying to draw up courage. "What?" Jackie asked, turning around and facing him.

"I didn't expect to fall in love with you. It was supposed to be a simple job. I was just supposed to check you out. Make sure you wasn't a cop," he replied. Her eyebrows scrunched up together, confused as to what he was saying. "You're not making any sense, V, "she replied.

"I was just supposed to hang out with you until I made sure you weren't a cop. You were a new face on the scene. Too good to be true, so we were suspicious," he said.

"We? Let me guess, Dom and Mia," she stated. Jackie stared at him, wide eyed.

Vince nodded quietly. "That's why Brian was questioning you. Dom didn't believe me when I said you were clean. He thought I was blinded by what was in between your legs to see the truth. Mia saw you going into that Fed building and they were convinced that you were a cop."

Jackie drew a hand up to her mouth, her bottom lip quivering slightly. "So this was all a lie," she whispered. "No!" He half yelled. "Everything between us is real. I love you," he said, taking a step towards her. She shook her head, taking a step back and bumping into the backyard's table.

"Stay away from me," she whispered quietly, brushing past him. Vince turned to grab her arm, but she shoved him away. "Lies, Vince, all lies. You promised to never hurt me," she said, before running down the driveway.

_She needed a rock to hide behind now._

Letty pushed open Vince's bedroom door and found him stretched out on the bed, his face covered by a pillow. She sat on the edge of his bed after closing the door behind her and shook him slightly. She placed a hand on his knee, sharing his sadness.

"I'm sorry, V," she whispered, realizing that he must feel devastated and abandoned by everyone. They all played a part in this. She even felt her share of the guilt, knowing that she was the one that set them up.

He pulled the pillow off his face and exhaled slowly. "I brought this on myself, Let. I knew telling her was going to lead to us breaking up, but I just couldn't lie to her anymore. She trusted me with her secrets, I couldn't lie to her anymore," he replied.

"V, now do you see why I'm leaving? Do you understand that I need to make my own decisions and make my own way in life? Just how you need to. You can't live the rest of your life in Dom's shadow," she stated. He shook his head, stubborn as a mule. "I can't turn my back on Dom like that. He is my family, the only family that I have," he replied. "I'm not asking you to leave him, V. I'm asking you to chase after her and stand on your own two feet. Don't let Dom drag you down."

Vince sat up in bed, his eyes glittering at the idea of being back together with Jackie. "We're already half gone. You're in love and I…" Letty left off as the words almost left her lips, but she couldn't continue to keep a secret like this from Vince. "I'm leaving, Vince. Because I had to have an abortion. I couldn't fathom the idea of having a baby with Dom. To bring a baby into a world like this. Where we steal to pay the bills," she cried out.

Letty fell into Vince's arms, sobbing for the first time openly about her decision. He wrapped his arms around her, realizing that all along, Letty was fighting an inner battle with herself. "Why didn't you tell me? I would've done anything to help you," he said. She shook her head, pulling herself up off of him. Letty wiped the tears from her face and sighed. "You are too loyal, Vince. I would've just made you choose between me and Dom, and then you would've spent the rest of your life feeling guilty," she responded.

V teared up at her statement, and caressed one of her cheeks. He shook his head softly, trying to figure out how they both ended up like this. "You have to go after her, V. Make her understand that it started off so innocent and then you ended up in love. Do you know how many times Dom fucked up and I forgave him? That's true love and if she loves you, she'll forgive you this once." Vince nodded, reaching over to his night stand and grabbing his keys.

He jogged out of his room, leaving Letty alone with her thoughts. She brought her knees to her chest and cried quietly, hearing the floorboard's creak on top of her. She shut her eyes tightly and gripped onto her knees hard. _I'm not leaving until all is right,_ she promised to herself, realizing that she couldn't leave Vince in the middle of it all, alone and on his own. She played her part then and she would have to now. Her heart dropped at the thought of Vince being alone. She thought back to almost a year ago, when one hurtful comment from Mia almost drove him to the edge.

Letty closed her fists tightly and punched herself on her thighs, gasping for air.

_She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her happiness and their friendship._


	22. Emotions

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has been reading and leaving comments! You guys rock! Sorry it took so long to update- I recently moved and have been trying to settle in. So for waiting patiently, here's a good, long one to hold you over until the next update!

**Chapter 22: **Emotions

Vince slapped his hands on the steering wheel, slumping down in his seat. He groaned at the mad rush of feelings running through him. This all had started off so simple, much like every other part of his life. He groaned at the feeling at the bottom of his stomach. He wasn't used to this- this weird feeling. The feeling that urged him to track her down and keep her locked away from the world. _Only mine…._

10 years ago, if you had asked Vince what he would be doing in the future, he would've laid out all of his life's plans without hesitation. Dom would've gone pro by then, so he would be his pit crew leader. When he wasn't racing, he would own and manage his own garage.

He smirked at this idea, running a hand over his face. _How did I end up like this,_ he questioned himself. How did any of them end up like this? It felt like they were on the mend forever. Like no matter how hard they tried, the team was always burning their candles at both ends.

He reflected on the last couple of day's events and sighed softly. He knew it was none of his business, that he should stick to his own messed up life, but he couldn't help himself. How distant everyone was being from each other. How Mia watched Brian from the corner of the room, waiting and ready for him to run out again. How Letty kept the baby a secret. From him of all people. _Why? _How could she not trust anyone with her secret? _They were a family, for fuck's sake._

As Vince sat in his car and let his mind roam aimlessly, a car pulled up to the curb across the street from Jackie's house. His eyes drew into slits, as he watched her climb out of the car. From the way she stumbled, he deduced that she was clearly inebriated. He sighed softly, as Jackie crossed the street in front of him, stopping briefly in front of his car to flip him off.

V opened his car door and climbed out of his car, calling her name softly. Jackie shook her head and walked into her apartment building, ignoring him. He sighed, as he followed her upstairs to her apartment, barely catching her apartment door before it shut in his face. "Jackie," he yelled after her, as she walked through her apartment, shedding her clothes.

He shut the door in front of him, not quite knowing what to expect. He heard her turn the shower on and he drew in a deep breath, knowing he had at least ten minutes before he would have to face her. Vince flopped down on her couch, kicking his feet up on her coffee table. He ran a hand over his face, trying to plan out what he was going to say exactly.

He heard the shower turn off and then the rustling of the shower curtain, followed by the pitter-patter of wet feet. V didn't know how long he had been sitting there with his eyes closed, but when he opened them, she was sitting next to him, knees up to her chest. She was freshly showered, with her wet hair hanging over her shoulder. They faced each other, both searching for the right words to say.

"I'm sorry," Vince whispered and her response was soft sigh. "What's with Brian? Why does any one care if I'm a cop or not?" She asked, running her hand through her wet hair. He shook his head, whistling softly, doing anything to keep his mouth busy. Doing anything to stop the truth from coming out.

"Brian's the cop that busted us a few years ago. We're just paranoid that an undercover cop is trying to infiltrate the race scene. Try to catch us racing, get us locked up. If a cop comes and gets the advantage on us, we lose a lot of money. Racing is a big chunk of our income," he replied, just how they practiced. He felt his stomach turn as he realized how easily the lie rolled off of his tongue. _This is how I treat the women that I love? By lying to her?_

Vince felt his anxiety level rise as Jackie nodded, processing his response. He was a mix of emotions as she faced him and looked dead into his eyes. That's when he noticed the marks on her neck and chest. He held his breath, as he reached out and ran his fingertips across her neck, tracing the hickeys on her neck.

"What's his name?" He growled, drawing his hand away from her. She shrugged, sitting back into the couch. "Who knows. He was a nobody that I met at the ChaChaCha. Some loser to distract me from the fact that you're a fucking liar," she replied.

V stood up from the couch, slapping the magazines off of the coffee table. "Did you fuck him? Did you fuck him after you made me wait? All he had to do was probably get you drunk," he yelled at her. Jackie climbed up on the couch and pointed at him accusingly. "Do you care? What if I did fuck him? Not like it matters, I clearly don't meet the Toretto standards!" She yelled backed.

"I LOVE YOU! That is all that should matter! I never lied about the feelings that I had for you!" Jackie scoffed, shaking her head sadly. "You lied, V. Our relationship, our everything, was based on some bullshit lie!" She climbed off of the couch and went into the kitchen, grabbing an ice-cold Corona from the fridge. Jackie took the top off the beer and took a long swig, closing her eyes and relishing the bitter taste.

When she opened her eyes, she found Vince leaning against the kitchen doorway, arms crossed with a scowl permanently etched on his face. "How many times?" She whispered, staring at the floor in front of her. "What?" He replied, not understanding her train of thought.

"How many times did you fuck her, V? She has that smug look on her face like she's been sucking your dick since day one."

Vince froze, his heart skipping a beat as he caught on. "It's.." He began to say, but was stopped short by Jackie throwing the beer bottle at his feet. Vince took a step back, his heart racing, his emotions catching up to him. "Don't you dare justify fucking Mia! She practically spelled it out to me," she yelled at the top of her lungs. He stared at her dumbfounded, speechless.

He felt his heart drop down into stomach, which was already in knots. Vince felt his body turn cold, as that same feeling of despair came crawling back into him. The same one that a couple of months ago drove him to the edge. He felt the walls closing in on him as he stared into Jackie's tear stricken face.

"I should've known better. I should've listened to everyone. They all warned me," she cried softly. "I'm sorry," Vince whispered back, his eyes dark and red with unshed tears. "Don't you dare cry, you chose this. You told me that you were trying to change. For me, V. You made me believe that something good would come out of this."

Jackie's body shook softly as she cried. He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her, accepting that he had lost her. She shoved him away, clawing at his face. "You're everything they say. Every bad, horrible thing they say about you is true," she said, knowing that those words would hurt him. A tear slipped down Vince's face as she pushed him away, towards the door.

"Get out," she choked out, before falling into a chair and continuing to cry. V walked softly out of the kitchen, standing alone in the living room. He drew in a deep breath, feeling his chest tighten and his heart race at the coldness that was slowly creeping back into him. He had fought so hard to shield her from that side of him. He wanted to fall in love. To be alive again. And he had just lost that opportunity.

Vince turned on his heel and ran out of the apartment. Jackie listened to his heavy footsteps exit the apartment, the front door slamming hard after him. She heard through the apartment's thin walls as he ran down the stairs to the front door of the building. She didn't bother to lift her head off of the table that was currently cradling it until she heard his car turn on and tires squeal, as he drove like a bat out of hell- away from her.

Jackie cried harder at the thought of him running away from her. Even though her heart was breaking slowly and she was sure she was going to die (or wish she died) from the heartache, she knew him leaving was for the best. She knew what she was getting into when it all first started, and yet she couldn't help the inevitable. She drew her knees to her chest and placed her head on them, her eyes shut tightly.

_Her head was throbbing with painful emotions and truths._

Vince flopped down onto the bar stool, slamming his fist on the bar top. He glared at the other customers at the bar and before he could motion to Lou for his usual, a feminine hand reached out and placed a Corona in front of him.

He scowled and followed the feminine hand in front of him to its owner. He cocked an eyebrow, a small shocked smile on his face. "Kai, right?" He grumbled, recognizing the petite women in front of him from an old picture that Lou had shown him years ago. Vince could vaguely remember meeting her once or twice before. "Yep. Long time I don't see you, V," she responded, wiping down the counter.

V smirked at the young woman in front of him. He knew the naughty thoughts running through his head were not supposed to be there, but he couldn't help himself. He only knew of two ways to escape the pain- drunk and between a pair of legs. It was how he dealt with the majority of things in his life. He would drink until he was numb and then fuck until he was ready to pass out.

_It was how he avoided the emotions underneath it all._

"Yeah. Last time I saw you, you were giving the old man a ride to the garage to pick up his car from the shop. Maybe two, three years ago," he replied, taking a long swig from his beer. From the corner of his eyes, he watched her slender body move behind the bar. Kai was half Asian on her mother's side and you could tell so from a mile away. Her eyes were a light hazel and her jet-black hair ran pin-straight down her back. She had porcelain colored skin that was blemish-free. From her father, Lou, she got dimples and an Italian attitude to match.

"I've been busy with school and what not. What about you? How's everything?" She responded, opening up her own Corona and clinking bottles with him. Kai threw her head back as she took a sip. "The usual. Work and more work down at the garage. Where's the old man at tonight?" He asked.

"His heart's acting up. Docs placed him on bed rest for a few days until they get him on the right meds. So I'll be here for a while, acting as your friendly, neighborhood bartender."

"Well give him a pat on the back for me and tell him to hurry up. He's the only one that can put up with my drunk shit," V said, laughing sadly. Kai reached across and placed her hand on top of Vince's, staring into his eyes intently. "Why? I won't do?" She asked, a small grin on her face. Vince drank in her dimples and the blush starting to spread on her face. He cocked his head to the side and tried to decipher what was currently going on.

It would be his luck that a girl was trying to come on to him just as he was looking forward to getting drunk and forgetting about another one. He shook his head softly, to try to clear his head from his wandering thoughts and to answer her question. "Naa, you'll do. You're more than perfect for the occasion," he drawled, realizing that he was playing with fire.

Vince knew that it was a horrible idea to get in bed with her. That he was shitting where he ate, slept and healed himself at. He knew that this was Lou's baby girl and he should be loyal to the man that had been there for him all of these years, but the pain eating away at him pushed him to do it. He needed to forget Jackie and remember that there would be life after her. That someone would come along again and break down all of the walls that he built around himself. That someone would take the time to do so. That someone would care enough.

And every time the voice in the back of his head told him to stop, to go running back to her, to fight and yell for her love, he took a shot. Every time he thought about how he wasn't going to see her tonight, he motioned for another one. And another one.

So that's the story of how Kai ended up in the back seat of Vince's car, with her pants unbuttoned and her shirt over her head, because he couldn't bear the idea of bringing her home and having her sleep in his bed. He knew that when he crawled back into his dungeon, it would reek of her. It would smell of the last time she said she loved him and the last time they made love. It would smell of the last bit of true love Vince had ever experienced.

_The last bit of emotion left in him._


	23. Empty

**Chapter 23: **Empty

Jesse sighed softly, typing away on the laptop that was currently sitting on his lap. He looked around the dark living room, eyeing the rest of the team while they watched a movie. Well… everyone except Vince. From his perch on the couch, he could see him sitting on the back porch, drinking slowly from the bottle of whiskey at his feet. He was trying to mend his wounds.

He reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out his stock of pain pills. He shut his laptop and threw it on the seat next to him, heading into the kitchen. He reached into the fridge and grabbed a Corona, taking a long drink and giving up on his search. He had been trying to dig up something on Jackie. Anything at this point- good or bad. He wanted to bring closure to Vince, try to alleviate the pain he was currently going through.

Jesse looked at the bottle of pills in his hand and made a fist around them tightly. _Ironic_, he thought to himself, as he tried to make Vince's heartbreak go away while drowning his pain out with Vicodin and Coronas. He glanced over his shoulder at the broken man on the doorstep, who was staring intently up at the sky. He sighed softly, running a hand through his unruly hair.

He couldn't find anything on her. Leaving him feeling guilty in some sort of way, like as if finding some dirt on her would void out the fact that he let Brian slip through his finger. _They're all I got, I have to protect them,_ he thought to himself, determined to right his wrong. He felt guilty that he had almost lost them to Brian. That his family was currently falling apart because he didn't dig far enough. He didn't find anything.

_He downed the rest of the beer, trying to fill the emptiness within himself._

Dom emerged from within the garage, wiping his greasy hands on a dirty rag. He shook his head softly, as he spotted Vince still perched on the back steps, where he had left him over two hours ago. He knew he couldn't judge Vince. Just how V was hiding out in the dark backyard, he was prone to hiding out in the garage.

He sat down next to Vince, nodding at him. Dom picked up Vince's left over whiskey bottle, and downed the remaining portion, relishing the slow burn that was slowly spreading through his upper body. He released a breath he didn't even know he was holding and stared at the bottle. He was done hiding. Seeing the depression Vince was slowly slipping into only made him question his life currently. "Don't let her get away, man," Dom said, his voice as soft as he could ever make it get. "Let is about half gone. If you lose Jackie, I'm afraid that you'll be gone too. I can't lose my family."

Vince stared straight ahead, feeling his blood boiling and his heart racing. He stood up and began to pace in front of Dom, his fists clenched. He didn't know if it was the whiskey or the built up frustration over the years, but Vince jumped on top of Dom and started swinging at him. Surprisingly, Dom allowed him to swing away, only putting up his arms to block his blows. He waited until Vince tired himself out, before standing up and facing him.

Vince faced him, his chest heaving and sweat dripping down his forehead. "I'm fucking tired of living in your shadow, Dom. Of doing your bidding. You have completely fucked up my life!" Vince yelled. Dom held his breath, nodding at Vince's words. His heart dropped into what felt like his stomach and he stared at his friend. He knew he didn't force him to do anything, he didn't hold a gun to his head, but he knew that V was loyal to a fault. He knew V would follow him to the ends of the earth. "I'm sorry," Dom whispered.

"What the fuck good does that do me now, Dom? I've lost her," V replied, kicking a piece of paper in front of him. "It's never too late. Just go after her. Try to talk to her. Hell, I'll go talk to her. She didn't deserve what we did," he replied.

"WE? I did this! I slept with her! I broke her heart. Made her cry. All you did was hide in the shadows like a coward and make the calls. I did all of the dirty work like always. And I still am. I'm always cleaning up your messes. Even with Letty!" Vince knew he hit a low blow with bringing Letty into the conversation. He knew their relationship was currently on the rocks and that Dom was feeling it. Dom's head reeled back like V had struck him. He raised his hand and pointed a finger at Vince. "Don't bring her into this. Whatever the two of you have going on, ends now!" He barked.

V walked right up to Dom's face and stood toe to toe with him. The two men stared straight at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. "How long you known me? And you dare accuse me of having something going on with your girl? You're out of your fucking mind, _brother_," V snarled, putting an emphasis on the last word. He pushed past Dom, shoving him out of the way.

_He was done hiding his emptiness and his anger. He was finally going to accept it._

Mia swirled the whiskey around the bottle and eyed it suspiciously. She stumbled, propping herself up against her car, as she leaned her head back and took a swig. Her hair flew around her wildly; as the wind whipped around the cliff she was currently parked on. She took a long drag off of the cigarette that was dangling from her fingers, and exhaled slowly, her vision wavering as the smoke made her eyes water.

She looked back over her shoulder, as Brian's skyline pulled up behind her car. "What are you doing out here?" He asked, walking over to her. She shrugged, gesturing to the view of the city in front of her. "Living life, what else?" He stood shoulder to shoulder with her and glanced at the half empty bottle of whiskey at her hand. "Since when do you drink?" He questioned, not believing his own eyes.

"Since you turned your back on me," she replied, taking another drag from her cigarette. She offered the bottle to him and flicked her cigarette away, which he hesitantly took from her hand. Brian took his own pull from the bottle, getting ready to accept his own truths. "It's not how I wanted things to play out," he said, passing the bottle back to her. "Well, it's how it happened."

She twirled around, her arms flying high above her. Brian chuckled, watching as her skirt floated up around her. For a moment, she looked happy, as she closed her eyes and spun around. He walked over to her, the bottle falling to the ground, and wrapped his arms around her, placing a kiss on her forehead. Mia pushed him away, glaring at him angrily. "You left. Me. You. Left. Me. You said you loved me and then you left. And now you come back and expect everything to be the same," she yelled, swinging wildly at him.

"Nothing has changed! I still love you and you still love me, right?" Brian yelled back, grabbing onto her hands and placing them onto his chest. "Tell me you love me," he said, staring into her eyes. "I HATE YOU!" She yelled, spitting into his face. Brian shoved her away, wiping his face. "Everything has changed," she said, staring at him intently. He stood up straight and faced her. "What? What has changed, Mia? Other than the month?"

"I've changed. I'm not the naive little girl that fell in love with you. I've opened up my eyes and realized that everyone shits on everyone. I've grown up. And I have no use for you, so go back to whatever hole in the ground you just crawled out of. There is no room for you in my life, my heart... or my bed."

Brian nodded and started walking towards her. "I'm not going anywhere. So tough shit," he said, as he wrapped his arms around her as brought his mouth crashing down on hers. Mia smiled softly to herself, as she left Brian pick her up and place her on the hood of the car. _All according to plan_, she thought to herself, as she let Brian begin to peel her clothes off of her. At this point, Mia did anything to keep herself entertained. Anything to try to make Vince angry and start drama in her life. They were all just pawns in her game.

_Anything to fill the emptiness inside of her._


	24. Promise

**Chapter 24: **Promise

Jackie tossed and turned all night. She flipped over onto her back, groaning and slapping her arm on her sides. She had been staring at the walls for the last couple of hours, trying to will her body to sleep, but she knew it was pointless. There was something missing from her heart and soul. Vince.

She sighed softly, flipping onto her side and bunching up her pillow underneath her. She closed her eyes, clenching them shut. Jackie inhaled deeply, picking up his faint scent. She felt…. lost. This was a feeling that she had promised herself a long time ago to never experience again. It was one of the reasons why she refused to let anyone get close; because she hated feeling… she hated being empty.

Tears managed to make their way down her face as she tried to push those feelings away, but her attempt was in vain. Jackie sighed, giving up. She sat up in bed and dragged herself out from underneath the covers. As she finally gave in and decided to head in super early to work, she heard a soft knock on her door.

Jackie glanced at the clock and rolled her eyes. _4:30am- no good could ever come from such an early wake up call_, she thought to herself, as she made her way towards her front door. She drew in a deep breath, before opening the door slowly and coming face to face with Vince.

He was leaning against the adjacent wall, his legs crossed at his ankles, and his hands fisted within his jean pockets. V lifted his head slowly and landed his ice blue gaze on her. He held his breath as he drank her in. She looked so dainty, dressed in her light pink pajamas, and he had tarnished her with his harsh words and doubt. "What do you want?" She said, measuring her voice for the sake of the neighbors.

"I came to see how you were," he replied, taking a step towards her. Jackie instinctively held up her hand and shook her head. "I don't need you coming around anymore. I was fine before I met you and I'll be even better when you go," she stammered out. She took a step back and began to close the door. Vince shoved his body in the door opening and pushed it open.

"I want back in. I want this. The cooking. The casseroles. The fixing your shit. The hanger in your closet," he whispered. As he closed the distance between them, Jackie could hear the desperation in his voice and smell the whiskey on his breath. "I don't want you checking my every more. Chewing my ass out whenever it pleases you. I don't need you doubting who I am," she replied.

He shook his head, placing a hand on her waist. "I only doubted you because I didn't know who I was. I know who I am now, Jay." Jackie looked down on the rough hand on her waist and she felt chills run through her body. These were the hard working hands that had made her fall in love, but also the same hands that had simultaneously destroyed any sense of trust she had left in her.

She stepped aside and let him enter the dark apartment, closing the door quietly behind him. Vince inhaled deeply, relishing the warm vanilla smell the apartment held. He didn't quite know why but he felt something stir inside him as he recognized the smell as home.

"Who are you, Vince?" She questioned, leaning against the closed front door. He stood still, his back facing her, and his front facing the dark apartment. Visions of the heists flashed before him, and he knew that ultimately he had signed up long enough to get them all out. He couldn't back out now- with Letty leaving, the team would need him more than ever. He was a racer. That much he knew. He lived his life on the blacktop and it wasn't for the money. It was for the thrill. Much like her, everything he did was for the satisfaction. Unlike Dom, he wasn't in it for the money.

"I'm a part of you," he replied, before turning around and wrapping his arms around her. In one swift move, he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him, propping her up against the door. In the faraway distance, thunder could be heard rolling and lightning could be seen lighting up the sky as Vince carried her into the bedroom.

_Her promise to keep him out of her life fell to bits and pieces that night._

Vince pulled up to the shop and turned his car off, his permanent scowl back on his face like as if the last 5 hours of his life had not just happened. He would have much better preferred to still be under the covers with Jackie, but Dom insisted he get his ass into the garage to put in some wrench time. He slipped into his work shirt as he climbed out of his car and walked into the garage.

As he stepped foot into the shop, Leon, Jesse and Letty started hooting and hollering at Vince. Dom simply walked by and patted V on the back before disappearing into the back office. V smirked; glad to know that he had gotten everyone's approval. From the corner of his eye, he could see Mia standing in the corner of the room, eyeballing me.

He saw her angrily wiping her hands on a rag, and throwing it across the counter. Several times throughout the day, Brian kept walking over to her and tried to caress her gently. She slapped his hands away and shoved him back towards whatever car he was working on. Vince tried to steer clear of her for the remainder of his workday, knowing better than to cross paths with her, but made the fatal mistake of walking into the empty back office alone to grab an order form.

As he turned around to exit the office, Vince bumped straight into Mia. She smiled sweetly up at him, playing innocently with a pen. "So how are things with you and Jackie?" She drawled out, rolling her eyes. Vince sighed, taking a step back and leaning against Dom's desk. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine," he barked.

"Please don't tell me that you'll be too busy now for little ole' me…" Mia said, sliding up next to him. "Mia…" Vince began, but she cut him short by placing two fingers against his lips. "Just think of all the goods times we had," she whispered, throwing an arm around him, pressing her body against his. Vince's body reacted to her, hardening at the images of them together. Before Vince could peel Mia off of him, a throat cleared itself behind Mia.

She slid off of V without breaking eye contact and backed away from him. "Next time," she whispered, winking at him, before turning around and walking away. Mia came face to face with Brian and smirked at him. "Go away, Spilner. Go back to Miami," she said, before pushing past him and exiting the office.

Both men stared after her, left in the wake of her destruction. "What are you doing, V? You're playing with fire," Brian said, pointing at him accusingly. "Me?!" V said, feigning innocence. "I do no such thing. The wench attacked me."

Brian stepped towards V and shoved him into Dom's desk. "Leave her alone. Whatever messed up game you're playing with Jackie, doesn't need to involve Mi. Just stay away from her and me," he said. Vince chuckled before rearing back and grabbing Brian by his neck. He shoved the man into the nearest wall and began to cut off his air supply. He watched as the blond man began to turn red and smirked at how easily it would be to remove him from his life.

When Brian began to turn a slight shade of blue, he let him go and took a step back. "Brian I suggest you use your wages from the garage to buy yourself a fucking clue. Mia clearly wants nothing to do with you. She's too busy with every Tom, Dick and Harry in Echo Park, including mines. If I were you, I'd grow a set of balls and go back to Miami with whatever dignity you have left," Vince said. He cocked his eyebrow at Brian before nodding at him and exiting the office. Brian clenched at his throat, trying to catch his breath.

_And that was the moment that he promised to get even with them all._

**R&R**


	25. The Devils Inside

**Chapter 25**: The Devils Inside

Vince nodded at Kai, as she passed him another Corona. As their fingers touched, he couldn't help but relish the chill that ran up his arm as he thought about the last time he saw her. He cocked a small smile, and she returned it, blushing brightly, as if she could read his very thoughts.

Kai cleared her throat, wiping down the bar in front of him. "So there's this rumor... that you have a girl," she said, lingering on the last part of the sentence. Vince cocked his head to the side, trying to decipher where this conversation was going. He didn't know Kai well enough to know if this conversation was about to lead to more drama in his life.

"Yeah... I do now," he said, purposely leaving the last past vague. He technically had slept with Kai after him and Jackie had broken up and a couple of days before they had gotten back together. But he knew that the omission would destroy whatever amount of trust Jackie had in him. "So what does that mean for us?"

V leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply. Something in the bottom of his stomach stirred as he realized that Kai was ripe for the taking. He took a swig of his beer and eyed her. She stared at him dead on and smirked.

_As the devils inside egged him on._

Letty knew the guilt was most likely eating him alive. That's why he drank every night and was holing himself up at Lou's when he wasn't at the garage. His relationship with Dom was on the rocks and being around Mia and Brian was driving him insane. Hell, even she was disgusted by the two of them. Mia throwing herself all over Vince; Brian was throwing himself all over Mia. It took all of her self-control to not bash their heads in to stop herself from gauging her eyes out.

She plopped down in the open recliner in the dark corner of V's room, glad for the dark, cool confines of the quiet basement. Letty needed to get away from Dom's desperation, Mia's anger and Jesse's loneliness. Everyone in the house was slowly falling apart, including her.

At some point, she fell asleep on the recliner and did a double take when she woke up. The sun was coming up in the far distance when Letty opened her eyes and came face to face with Vince and Kai half-dressed in his bed. She groaned and rolled her eyes, before climbing off of the recliner and exiting his room.

Letty climbed the basement stairs and came face to face with Dom. They stared awkwardly at each other for a few moments before she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. "So he's down there with her?" Dom asked, breaking the silence. Let nodded, motioning to the stairs. "Yeah. I don't know what he's doing anymore. He has his head up his ass," she replied.

"Maybe I should talk to him," he said, leaning against the kitchen counter. She scoffed and shrugged her shoulders sarcastically. "Sure. Why not? He could learn a lot from you," she countered. Dom shook his head and crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm trying here, Let. But I'm getting kind of tired of hiding out in the garage from you. I'm getting tired of hearing your mouth everytime I try to fix things between us!"

Letty slapped her arms down on her side and faced him. "Maybe I'm not trying to fix anything, Dom. Maybe I want to just be left alone." The words tumbled out so effortlessly, but she had been thinking them all along. Letty was just happy she stopped there and didn't let anything else slip out. He stepped towards her and stood still. "Then go. Be alone."

Her breath caught in her throat as she processed his words. Dom and the team was her everything. She had constantly thought about leaving, but now that the time was here, she was at a loss of words. Letty nodded and exited the kitchen, in search of another dark corner to hide out in and plan her next move.

_She was finally ready to let the devils inside, out._

They all sat around the picnic table, holding hands as they said their version of grace. Vince didn't know how he had gotten there, sitting next to her with this guilty smile on his face. He loved her, he couldn't lie about that, but what he could lie about was the fact that he had been frequenting Lou's lately. After hours. After all the years he had been silently hating Dom for the way he treated Letty, here he was doing the same thing to Jackie. But unlike everything else in his life, it came easy, so he went with it.

Everything was going on in a blur around him, as he was consumed with all his thoughts. The team conversated around Vince, laughing and carrying on like he wasn't sticking out like a sore thumb right now. "So are you riding with Hector or us to Race Wars tomorrow?" Dom asked, passing Coronas around the table.

Jackie accepted one and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not really into cars. Usually go to the races to check out what the girls are wearing nowadays. Gotta keep my eyes on the latest trends if I want to make sure my store is going to stay in business," she said, "I wouldn't even know the first thing about Race Wars."

"Come on, you're the boss, girl! You can take a few days off to hang with us. I'll teach you everything you need to know. Plus I could use another girl around," Letty chimed in, scooping some more food onto her plate. Vince placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it, smiling gently at her. "Come on, it'll be fun. I can sit out some races. We can just enjoy the different parties," he said.

Jackie shrugged and nodded in response, not wanting to spend any more time on the subject. "You'll be fine. You're a big boy. Plus, I can use the extra time to put in some extra hours at the shop," she replied. Vince felt the scowl forming on his face as his hand gripped tightly around the Corona bottle in his hand. He wasn't a fan of begging and he wasn't about to start begging to a girl. His mind thought back to Kai and how willing she always was. How eager she always was to make him smile.

As his mind drifted off and created an awkward silence on his table, Vince felt a sharp pain on his knee, as someone kicked him. He glanced up and found Letty glaring at him, her eyebrows knitted together. He released the grip he had had on the bottle, and sat back in his chair, continuing to stuff his face in order to keep his mouth busy and unable to say anything stupid. The team tried to lighten the mood but found it futile when Vince disappeared into the basement.

Letty sighed, motioning towards the basement door. "He's just being... typical Vince. He really wanted you to go," she said. Jackie nodded. "Yeah, but he also needs to understand that I run a business with a skeletal staff. I can't just take off whenever I want. I wish I could, but I can't," Jackie replied, helping her put away clean dishes.

After they cleaned the kitchen, Jackie said her goodbyes and promised to stop by the next day with some new sample clothes from the store for Letty, so she could turn heads at Race Wars. As she exited the house, closing the front door behind her, she found Mia on the dark, front porch nursing a beer. She smiled at her weakly, cocking an eyebrow up at her.

Jackie stopped briefly, wondering if she should even bothering having a conversation with Mia. She decided against it, glancing over her shoulder as she stepped off of the front porch. "Good night," Jackie said. As she finished her descent, she heard Mia's reply. "How stupid can you be?"

Jackie froze, her blood rushing to her ears as she processed what Mia had just said. Jackie rearranged the purse she was carrying on her shoulder and stepped back onto the porch, looking into the dark corner that Mia was currently sitting in. "What did you say?" She asked, preparing herself for any conversation that could possibly turn physical.

"You treat him like a king and he's running around town with her," Mia replied. Jackie felt her heart drop to the bottom of her stomach as she processed Mia's words. "Oh really?" She responded, feigning indifference but on the inside she was dying slowly.

"Go ahead, ask Letty. The same Letty you clothe with your precious hard work. She knows all about them. Her name is Kai."

_The devils inside were closer than friends and enemies._

R&R

{Thanks TheChemist20 for the support.}


	26. Clear

**Chapter 26**: Clear

Jackie flopped down onto Hector's couch, wiping the tears from her eyes. She kicked her feet up on his coffee table, cringing as one of his boys burped loudly before disappearing down his hallway. He flopped down next to her and sighed, a toothpick dangling from his mouth. "How come everytime you come home you gotta put on 30 pounds of makeup, huh?" He joked, leaning over and wiping away the mascara that was currently running down her face.

"I gotta fit in with the regulars you keep around, hermano. When you gonna settle down? Give me a girl whose name I can actually remember?" She joked, trying to lighten the darkening mood. Hector laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "You know you're the only woman for me, right? I don't need these hoes distracting me from my dreams," he said. He leaned back into the couch and lit a joint, hoping to relieve the pain his closest family member was going through right now.

Jackie gladly accepted the joint when he passed it her way, eager to forget her aching heart. She couldn't get the idea of Vince with another woman out of her head, but she also didn't feel strong enough to confront him. Not yet anyways. "When you blow up don't forget about the little people," she replied, alluding to his dreams of going pro. Not many people knew it, but Hector always aspired to be more just some two-bit racer, living in the confines of Echo Park, coordinating races to make ends meet. Everything he did was just to put him one step closer his dreams.

"Never, you know I'm going to take you with me." Jackie scoffed, knowing her whole life was in Echo Park. She poured blood, sweat and tears into her store, and while she didn't have much family and a very small circle of friends, Echo Park was her home. "Unless something's keeping you here..." Hector added.

She cocked her eyebrow and eyed him wearily, knowing where this is going. "Me and him... we're done Hector. I was a fool once. Not anymore. This is one of the reasons why I don't deal with all of this dating stuff. It's way too complicated for me," she responded, sighing softly.

"Just don't get too caught up in this entire love thing, lady. I'll take care of homeboy for you, all I need you to do is stay away from him and focus on your career," Hector said. He stood up and walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge and retrieving a beer. Jackie stared after him, and followed suit. "What are you up to?" She questioned.

Hector sighed softly, running a hand over his face. "Sometimes business is business. With Dom, it's always business, chica. He treated you like business when he had Vince do what he did. So now, it's only fair that he get's a taste of his own medicine. Promise you'll stay away from Vince when the team comes back from Race Wars? They won't be happy." He said.

The nod came so easy, she didn't even realize it when she was agreeing to betray Vince, but something inside of her put her at ease. Getting even felt so good. "If it's one thing V taught me, family always looks out for each other," she found herself saying, before smiling at Hector and taking the Corona he was handing her out of his hand. "Come on, let's sit down. I'll tell you all about it," he said, before walking back into his living room. Jackie followed, a small smirk on her face.

_The fulfillment that betrayal brought was clear as day._

Letty found him stretched out on the top of his car in the driveway, staring up at the sky. She climbed up next to Vince and settled in, placing her head on his shoulder, like they had done countless times before. "You really acted like a dick tonight," she commented, closing her eyes and listening to him gently breathe.

"My mind is all over the place right now, Letty. I couldn't focus," he replied. She sighed softly, and continued to listen, relishing the quietness of the neighborhood. _I wonder if the next neighborhood I move into will be this quiet, if the neighbors will be this nice. _

Letty hated to admit that she was scared shitless of leaving it all behind her, but she was kind of excited at the prospect of leaving and never looking back. _But what if... I did look back? What if I looked back and regretted it?_, she thought to herself.

"I need you to be focused tomorrow, Vince. I need you to hit Race Wars with me and make a killing. It's the last chance we have to rake in the money easy. And then I'm gone," she said, partially whispering the last part.

"Will I see you again?" He asked, only half kidding, but part of him really wondered if Letty would ever come back to them. She poked him hard in the ribs and her heard him gasp in pain. "Come with me, Vince. Race wars and then one more heist. We should be good to go anywhere we want. We don't need much anyways. We can just race for whatever else we need," she replied.

"I can't... she's pregnant," Vince whispered. Letty opened her eyes in shock and found herself staring up at a beautiful sky. It had been years since she had been able to look up into the dark Echo Park sky and count the stars.

_Even in this uncertain moment, it was clear- he was forever tied to Echo Park._

Vince emerged from his trailer, a scowl already etched on his face. He hadn't even been asleep for three hours, when the pounding on his door began. He growled as he opened his trailer door and the sun began to beam on him. He held his hand up to block the sun and allowed a very pissed off Dom come into view.

Dom simply nodded over his shoulder and motioned for Vince to follow as they pushed through a crowd that had formed in front of his trailer. Vince's face dropped as he began to understand the picture in front of him.

In front of him, laid what remained of the team's cars. Apparently while the team partied and subsequently passed out, someone had taken apart their cars and stripped them for parts. Their rides, or what could have once been considered rides, sat on concrete blocks. Mia came up behind him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I hope this has nothing to do with Jackie finding out about Kai," she said, smiling up at him.

He took a step back and stared at Mia. "You didn't," he stammered out. She giggled, loving the desperate look on his face. "Oh, I fucking did, and you should've seen the look on her face," she replied. Vince clenched his fists together and began to breathe deeply, trying to control his anger. He turned away from her and began to walk back to his trailer. When he reached it, he slammed the door behind him so hard, the trailer vibrated.

Vince began to destroy his trailer, throwing all of belongings around. He was so enraged, he didn't hear Mia enter behind him and sit down quietly. By the time V was done, his chest was heaving and he was drenched in sweat.

He jumped as Mia began to clap sarcastically. "Well done. Good performance, Vincent," she said, getting up and walking slowly over to him. He caught her by surprise as he covered the distance between the two of them in one step and grabbed her by the arms. Vince dug his fingers into her arms and began to shake her. "How could you?" He yelled in her face, spit flying wildly.

Mia laughed and then began to moan loudly. "Yes, oh yes," she yelled, as he threw her onto the bed. Her glared at her, not believing what was going on in front of him. "What the fuck is going on with you? You've become this evil, crazy bitch," he said.

Mia's face became dead serious as she sat up and ironed her skirt with her hands. She crossed her legs and blinked innocently up at him. "No, Vince. I've just gotten fed up with being shitted on consistently. What's I've become is stronger and smarter. I've done nothing but look out for this entire team. Feed them, clothe them, clean up after them. Not once, has anyone asked me what I wanted to do. I've given my entire life up for this so called team. I want to live, Vince. So if I'm going to be miserable, so will the rest of you."

_She made it clear, she was out to get even._

Vince pulled up into the dark alley, as rain poured down onto them. _Shitty day, shitty weather_, he thought, as he shifted his loaner car into park behind Hector's Honda Civic and got out. He found Jackie leaning against the brick wall of the dark alleyway they were currently meeting up at and he couldn't help but drink her in.

He could tell that her mood was dark by how heavy her eyes were lined with eyeliner and how high her heels were. "All women should invest in a good pair of fuck me pumps. They could change your life, just ask Cinderella", she had once told him. _She always felt sexiest in a pair of heels and jeans_, he thought to himself.

He dug his hands into his his jean pockets and stood in front of her ready to accept his punishment. They stared intently at each other and it took all the willpower he had to not run and wrap his arms around her. The awkward silence sunk in around them as neither one of them dared to say anything.

On the main road by them, a cop car flew by with its siren blaring, distracting them from their task at hand. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him short. "Don't try to contact me. I don't want anything to do with you anymore. I think it's best if you stay on your side of town and I stay away from the races," she stammered out.

Even as she said those words, all V wanted to do was go back to her place and cuddle on the couch with her. It didn't matter that she didn't want him around. He couldn't keep her off of his mind. "I don't know why I did it. You're the only girl that understood me. Never judged me. Even now with all of my scars, you still made me feel like a man. I love you-"

Jackie reached out and and slapped him so hard her hand went numb. "Don't you dare say you love me. You didn't love me when you fucked her over and over again. You didn't love me when you lied to my face about it. About why you were dating me in the first place. You knew my history, Vince. You knew my everything, I never hid from you, but all you did was hide from me."

She began to walk away, leaving Vince staring after her dumbfounded. She stopped short and walked back to him, grabbing him by his chin and forcing him to look at her. She watched as the raindrops danced down his face and tears slid down hers. "You're nothing, Vince. You're garbage. Anything I ever felt for you is dead," she whispered, before shoving his chin away and spitting at him.

Jackie turned away before he could see her face break down. She climbed into Hector's car and zoomed out of the alleyway, leaving Vince staring after her. He slowly climbed into his car and shut the door behind him, encasing himself in silence. He stared straight ahead as the raindrops fell harder and faster on the car. V's breaths came faster and shallower and before long, he was doubled over sobbing.

_He was clearly drowning slowly._

Letty leaned against the garage's door frame and watched as Dom tinkered on his car's engine. He stopped, wiping the sweat with the back of his hand, and leaned back in to beginning working again. She shifted her position, and caught the corner of his eye. He turned towards her, a small smile on his face.

Dom's heart fluttered, realizing that she was seeking him out. "Hey. Long time no see you out here," he said, extending the wrench in her direction. She drew in a deep breath, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and took the wrench from him. Letty stood before him, balancing the wrench in her hands.

"Come on, I'll let you get dibs on the carburetor," he said, motioning to the car. She shook her head softly and looked up at him, a pleading look in her eyes. "I'm done, Dom. There's no point in rebuilding my car. I'm not racing anymore," she whispered.

Dom froze, staring at her intently. "What?" His voice cracked. "You told me to go, Dom, and I'm ready. I'm finally ready to move on." She walked over to him, placing the wrench on the hood of the car.

"So that's it, you're not even gonna help us rebuild?" Dom asked, leaning against the car, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I bought this old car. It runs well enough to get me out of Echo Park. I'll be gone by the morning," she said. Letty stood right in front of him, searching his eyes for any sense of peace. He shook his head, throwing his arms around him, tears running down his face. They stood like that for what felt like forever, until their tears ran dry.

Dom let his arms drop like a sack of bricks and watched her walk out of the garage, her hair flying wildly behind her. His heart felt heavy and his head felt cloudy as she disappeared into the house, to pack he could only assume. As he put away his tools, he glanced over languidly to Letty's Silva sitting half covered by a tarp.

He walked over to it and began to pull the rest of the tarp over it, stopping short. He sighed softly, running his hand over the hood and grimacing. _Another car for me to rebuild_, he thought as he finished pulling the tarp over Letty's car. He glanced over to his father's car on the other side of the garage and he felt his chest tighten. _If I rebuild it, maybe she'll come home again,_ he thought, realizing he wouldn't be able to bring his father by rebuilding his car, but he might regain some part of her still.

_It was clear he was building a shrine to lost happiness._


	27. Gone

**Chapter 27: ** Gone

When Dom woke the following morning, the house was still. Dead still. He could hear his heart thumping in his chest as he sat up in bed and realized that she was gone. He had purposely drank himself into a stupor last night. He had gotten drunk enough to ignore the screaming in the back of his head and to sleep right through her walking out of his life.

He sat up in bed and listened to the silence. There was no arguing with Jesse over the last piece of toast, with Leon over which designs would look best on their cars, with Vince over his latest slut, with Mia over Vince, or with him over everything and anything.

Dom glanced around the room and he felt his chest tighten. Letty wasn't a regular girl. She was special all on her own. She never needed the makeup, or the shoes. She was beautiful as is- bare and natural. So with her absence came the fact that nothing was missing. Nothing had been touched. Everything seemed the way it should be. It looked like she hadn't left, the only thing missing was his heart.

He sighed, and crawled back under the covers as his stomach turned. Dom closed his eyes tightly and cocooned himself into the dark reprieve his bedroom was currently offering. He could only reassure himself that she was outback tanning, as he cradled the letter she had left him.

_The only special thing in his life was now gone._

Vince stirred in his bed, his thoughts weighing him down. He hadn't slept a full night since he had found out that she was pregnant. He hadn't slept more than 4 hours since she left him. And he knew he wouldn't be the same now that Letty was gone.

His eyes swept across the room, and he sighed deeply, taking in the last miracle Letty worked on him. She had managed to clean his room and put everything back together after his last drunken rage. He smirked, reaching under his pillow and pulling out the letter she left him. He hadn't bothered to open it, realizing that opening it would most likely pushing him over the edge. He wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.

_Even though she was gone, she was still looking out for him._

Letty didn't know where she was going, but she was gone. She got on the interstate and drove until she thought her car would break down, only stopping for gas. The sun had risen and gone down around her, and she still had not had any second thoughts.

She didn't even know if this place still counted as California, but it didn't matter any more. She had gone south towards the beach, where she always felt the most comfortable. The most free. Where she could tan in peace, work on her shitty ass car, and start to rebuild her life.

_The bad parts of her life were gone. It was time to focus on the good that was left._

Mia leaned against the kitchen counter and pondered it all. Things were different now. She was the only one Dom listened to now that Letty was gone. She was his anchor and Mia's worst fear was that Dom was now alone, or that he thought he was.

Jesse was more antsy than usual because he saw them falling apart. V was never home anymore. She knew he wasn't at Jackie's but that didn't make Mia feel any better. Her family was falling apart and in the back of her mind, she was getting scared. What had started out as a game for her, had turned serious. It was time to set things straight- or attempt to.

_She was regretting it all, now that they were too far gone._

Letty sat down on her back porch, clad in a sundress, staring up at the dark sky. She watched as sky opened up and began to pour down on her house. _This water will be good. Maybe the tomatoes will finally grow,_ she thought, glancing over at her struggling vegetable garden. She didn't feel like she needed to be tough anymore because that's what the team expected from her- almost demanded from her. They lived on the edge and she soon found herself wearing her protective shield 24/7. She could finally be relaxed and not wound tight because she didn't know when the next cop would show up or when the next heist would go wrong.

She felt like she was finally free as time had moved on pretty quickly for all of them. Letty had finally gotten her own place- a small house, nothing fancy. In some ways the old creaks the house made in the middle of the night reminded her of the fort. She didn't own, she rented. She had a regular 9am to 5pm shift at a local garage. Her grocery list no longer included gallons of liquor. She was in bed by 11pm the latest. Like an average American. For once, she blended in with the crowd and didn't stand out a mile away.

Every time she heard a tuner engine rolling down the street, she was instantly taken back to Echo Park. As she thought about it, she felt that pull, that urge, at the bottom of her stomach drawing her back to them, and then she felt the nervous butterflies come back as she remembered all of the close calls they had.

She was brought out of her trance by a knock on her front door. Letty stood up, wiping her hands on the back of her dress and headed into the house. She could hear thunder rolling in the far distance as the rain continued to pound on the house. She made her way towards the door, wondering who would be coming to visit her on a day like this. She knew very few people in the neighborhood, and had made some friends or "grease monkeys" as she liked to call them at her job, but none that wouldn't call before coming over.

Letty eyed the metal baseball bat that was currently behind the door and decided against it, realizing that this wasn't Echo Park. She was in the suburbs now, there was no need for protection. With her heart in her throat, she opened the door and came face to face with a drenched Vince.

_The urge was... gone._

Brian watched from the garage entrance as Vince and Mia chatted in the kitchen, as she prepared dinner. He knew it would happen- Letty would leave and Vince and Mia's bond would grow tight again. _At least he's not banging her,_ he thought, smirking at the fact that he was taking care of that all on his own. He was surprised at first, that Vince and Mia were actually being civil to each other, but he chalked it up to her feeling pity towards him- the breakup, Letty leaving, Dom and him avoiding each other like STDs, but something at the bottom of his stomach told him to keep an eye out for the two of them.

He cursed under his breath and headed back into the garage and found Dom under Letty's Silvia. He frowned upon the man, realizing he was working himself to death day in and day out. He leaned against the workbench and cleared his throat. He watched as Dom froze, as if listening for him to say something. "What do you expect to gain from breaking your back and the bank by fixing Letty's car?" Brian dared to ask.

He heard Dom sigh and put the wench he had in his hand down. "I don't know, I'm somehow hoping that when I'm done, she'll come back," he replied. Brian grimaced, hearing the pain in his voice. They could say whatever they wanted to say about him, but Brian always had a soft spot for Dom and seeing him holed up in the garage was killing him.

"For you, or for the car?" He asked. Dom drew in a deep breath and rolled out from underneath the car. He sat up, and placed his elbows on his knees. "You know, she didn't even bother to ask me, if I wanted to go with her. She just left. I would've left it all behind for her. She considered Vince before considering me," he whispered.

"Is that why you're riding him at work? Trying to break him because of Letty? Making his life a living hell at work, home, and the races," Brian asked. Dom glared up at him, clenching his fist. He didn't know why, but Brian opened up his mouth and actually began to defend V. Part of it was in hopes of Vince and Dom making up, which would leave little time for Mia. "Way I hear it, Letty was leaving you for a long time. She was already gone by the time she actually packed up her shit and rolled out. You can't blame him, Dom."

In a matter of seconds, Dom stood up from his spot on the floor and grabbed Brian by his shirt, shoving him into the workbench. He was so furious he could've beaten him senseless at that point. They stared at each other, breathing heavily. _I can't deal with this shit anymore. I'm the alpha male around here. I lead and they are supposed to follow_, he thought. He drew in a deep breath and released the smaller man, stepping away from him. He glared back at him, as he stormed out of the garage.

_He felt them all slipping away from him, little by little. Pretty soon they would all be gone._

Hector shook his head, and watched as Jackie bent over the toilet and continued to throw up. He shut the door behind him and headed back to the guests that he was currently entertaining. He smiled at the older Asian man and watched as his cousin counted the money in the briefcase that he just handed him.

Minutes later, they shook hands and their meeting ended on good terms. Jackie exited the bathroom, wiping the corner of her mouth on the back of her hand. "What was all that about?" She asked, motioning to the open briefcase full of cash. "Finally got that money for the job we pulled on Toretto and them. We're one step closer to the dream now," he replied.

She nodded, leaning against the door frame and watched as Hector reached into the briefcase and grabbed a stack of money. "And this is your cut, hermana," he said, handing her the money. She shook her hand and waved it away. Hector grabbed her by the wrist and shoved the money into her hand.

"We're family. We look out for each other, plus it looks like you're going to need it soon," he said, staring at her intently. Jackie looked away, ashamed of herself. She snatched her hand from him, and headed into the living room, trying to avoid the impending conversation. Hector followed her, watching as she climbed onto his couch and tucked her feet underneath her.

"What are you going to do?" He whispered, sitting down next to her. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice slightly cracking. "This is the last thing I thought would happen." Hector threw an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder softly. "We'll survive this, hermana. I'll take care of you. We'll take care of each other. Plus I could use another grease monkey around here, " he said.

She laughed softly, tears escaping her eyes. "Does anyone know?" He asked. Jackie shook her head no, she was hiding her pregnancy from the world, but after awhile she realized she was just lying to herself. "I'm so... I don't even know how to explain it, Hec. I'm single. Struggling as is. And now I'm pregnant with no baby father. This is not how I expected it all to end," she cried.

He drew her in and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "That baby will have our last name and it won't go hungry because it has us. That's all you need to be thinking about right now, Jackie. Don't focus on all the bullshit that lead up to this, focus on what's to come," he said. She nodded slightly and glanced down at her tummy.

"Let's make sure I'm the little shit's favorite. I'm sure it'll want some of Uncle Hector's famous chili," he said, standing up and motioning to the kitchen. Jackie laughed and climbed off the couch. "Yeah, let me start placing my pregnancy craving orders now," she said, walking into the kitchen. He stared after her and waited until he heard her moving around in the kitchen, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone.

He dialed numbers he knew by memory and sighed once the other person picked up. "We got a problem," he said, walking off down the hallway towards his bedroom, his mind heavy with truths several different truths. Jackie was pregnant and he had started a war he would now have to abandon. And the streets were alive with the latest talk about Vince and Kai.

_R & R_

{Thanks TheChemist20 and Wreckless Angel for the support. I'm glad that you guys are enjoying. Keep on rocking!}


	28. Truth

**Chapter 28:** Truth

They sat on the back porch, enjoying the cool breeze the passing storm brought with it. Vince stared off into the distance, drinking in the stillness that the neighborhood offered them. "So this is it? Home, sweet, home," he said, taking a drink from his Corona. Letty nodded, feeling satisfied deep down inside. "So... spit it out. I know you didn't drive this entire way to just drink my beers," she said. He sighed, leaning back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the porch railing. "She's pregnant, Letty," he whispered.

Letty's heart caught in her throat as she processed the words that had just come out of his mouth. She didn't think she would feel any type of way when finding out that someone she knew was pregnant, but her heart dropped into her stomach. She was instantly filled with sadness and regret, the past choices she had made were bearing their full weight currently.

"What are you going to do?" She managed to stammer out, her throat tight. He shook his head, slumping his shoulders. "I don't even know, Let. I can't let her get rid of it.. That's my child in there," he replied. "I'm not advocating for anymore abortions, Vince, but you need to be realistic here. You live your life one day at a time. She's going to need your support now, more than ever. You're gonna have to change your ways." Vince nodded, draining what was left of his beer. "I never had a real father, Let. In the true traditional sense. I had a shitty childhood. Only reason I even survived was because Mr. T took me in. I don't want my child to grow up how I did," he replied.

"Seems like Vince is growing up, " she whispered, throwing an arm around him. "Too fast, too soon. She's pushing for a shotgun wedding," he replied. Letty's eyes went wide at the thought of Vince married. "You have got to be kidding me, V. That's insane. It's fine if you want to raise this baby together, but you shouldn't have to be tied down."

He shrugged. "What if it's the right thing to do, Let? It's time I grew up and settled down. My child is going to need a stable home, not some random apartment. I'll grow to love her" She shook her head and frowned. "I think you're just scared to end up alone. What does Dom and the team think about this?" She asked.

"No one knows. We've kept it quiet so far. We're still thinking things through..." he trailed off. "Why couldn't you go through with it? Why did you have that abortion?" He whispered, afraid to disturb the stillness surrounding them. Letty sighed, trying to conjure up the correct words to explain her mindset.

"You see how you have that take charge attitude, V- I didn't have that. For once in my life I wasn't in control. I was scared shitless, not for myself, but for this unborn child. I was practically single, and me and Dom couldn't stand each other. How could I have a child, while doing what we do to make ends meet?" He shook his head softly, truly understanding what she went through.

"I was trashed. She was... and next thing I know we're in the backseat and neither one of us figured a condom would be good idea. It wouldn't be fair to that child or her to make her go through giving up her child,: he said. The doubt did linger in his mind, but he was determined to make it work.

_Truth was, he was as stubborn as they came._

Jackie entered her office at the store and dropped her bag next to her desk. She plopped down into her chair and sighed, kicking up her feet on her desk. She closed her eyes, hoping to catch a quick nap before her shift began at the store.

The last couple of weeks had flown by as she busied herself with training a new store manager. Her body was starting to fill out and she knew that eventually she would need help around the store. While she could still hide her pregnancy with flowy tops, she was starting to slightly show, which meant no more skin tight outfits. Jackie eventually gave in to Hector's demands and hired additional help at the store, and even agreed to move in with him when she got farther along.

She understood what she was taking on, but Jackie had always been self-sufficient and independent. Which is why she forbid Hector from telling Vince and why she took such careful measures to hide her pregnancy from the world. She didn't want anyone's pity and she didn't want to give him an excuse to come around again. Jackie had her priorities straight and knew that she would have to stay focused to achieve her goals. As she began to create a mental checklist, a knock rang on her door. "Come in," she hollered across the office.

Denise, her new store manager, pushed open her door and stuck her head in. "How ya feeling?" She asked, making her way into the office, a gift basket in tow. Denise was the only other person other than Hector who Jackie had told the truth about her pregnancy. She had needed to make it clear to her when she was hired, that eventually she would be overseeing the store on her own, when Jackie got too big to work and when she gave birth. So Denise understood her situation to the extent of her being a single mother, who was struggling with crazy bouts of morning sickness.

"I'm hanging in there," Jackie replied, motioning to the gift basket. "What's that? Another gift basket from Hector?" She asked, reaching for it, a shit eating grin on her face. Since finding out about her pregnancy, Hector had become the doting uncle and a paternal seed grew inside of him, which caused him to shower Jackie with the most ridiculous gifts- including a new car.

Denise shook her head, walking over to her. "No, this one is from someone named Letty," she replied, placing the basket on her desk. Jackie's heart skipped a beat as she processed what Denise had just said. "You okay? Who is she? Some kind of ghost?" Denise asked, after looking at Jackie's pale face. Jackie shook her head, trying to clear it. " No, just someone I used to know," she whispered. "Well it's a congratulations basket, so she must keep up with your friends and family to have heard about the baby."

Jackie froze, staring at the basket in front of her, wondering if she should even bother reading the card. All the things Letty ever told her were probably a lie, just like Vince. She shouldn't even think of her as a friend. _How could she know about the baby?_, Jackie thought, knowing she was being careful enough to not give away any clues. "Yeah, probably Hector," Jackie responded, hoping that her response would cause the other woman to go back to work. Curiosity was yelling at her to open that card- alone. Who knew what was written in it.

She sat in silence for a while, just staring at the basket. There was no mistaking it- this was a baby basket. Inside lay several different baby items- blankets, lotions, baby wash, etc. "Well, I'm going to go set up the racks for tomorrow's new displays," Denise said, finally getting the hint. Jackie waited for the door lock to click behind her, to reach over and snatch the card from the basket.

Jackie's hands shook slightly as she opened the envelope, not sure what to expect. _Hey girl! Congrats on the baby! I can't wait to see the clothing lines this moment in your life will inspire. Good luck to you and the baby- you'll need it with the father and husband to be! -Letty_

She froze, her eyes stuck on the last part of the final sentence. _Could it be true?_, she asked herself, _Vince is getting married- to someone else, that was pregnant_. Jackie had never met the other woman in Vince's life, but she knew that if she really wanted to, she could have arranged to meet her, but she preferred to put it all behind her and move on, or rather, avoid going to jail for attempted murder.

Or so she thought, as her stomach turned and her lunch threatened to come up. She clasped a hand over her mouth and drew in deep breaths, trying to get a hold of herself. She didn't know if it was another bout of morning sickness or a rush of emotions, that were threatening to erupt from within her at this very moment.

She shook her head and stood up, picking up the basket and exiting her office. "I'll be back," she threw over her shoulder as she exited the store, basket in tow. She climbed into the car Hector had forced her into accepting and drove off heading towards the other side of town.

_She needed to find out what was sure to be the ugly truth._

The team sat around the picnic table, passing around plates of food. It was Kai's first family BBQ and Vince had managed to strong arm everyone into behaving, even though he knew that they couldn't stand her. He had tried to introduce her to all of them, one on one, but she always found a way to turn them off on the idea of them all being a family together. She either complained too much, didn't get any of their jokes, or looked down upon their current lifestyle. This was her last shot at trying to make friends with them. So far, so good. The eye rolls were at a minimum and Jesse hadn't disappeared into the basement yet.

They were too engrossed in their conversation to hear the car pull up to the front of the house or the footsteps coming up the driveway. Leon was the first to see her, looming behind Vince with the basket in her hands. His breath hitched in his throat as she she brought the basket crashing down on his head. They all stared up at her, shock written on their faces. Jackie's eyes glued onto Kai, who instinctively drew her hands to belly, as V cowered over and covered his head with his arms. "Why is Letty congratulating me on my pregnancy and an upcoming wedding?" Jackie asked, never breaking eye contact with Kai, holding up the card between two fingers.

Vince came out from his crouch, and stood up, facing her Jackie. He reached over and placed a hand on her elbow. She turned around and slapped him, yanking her arm away from him, before turning on her heel and walking away from them. He stared after her longingly, as if in a trance. Dom stood up behind him, and cleared his throat. "You know where Letty is?" He asked, deadly quiet.

"Are we going to ignore the fact that she just said you guys are getting married?" Mia squeaked, staring wild eyed at both of them. _You have got to be shitting me,_ she thought to herself, not believing that this is what it would take to domesticate Vince. He didn't respond to either one of them, he just continued to stare off into the distance, far after she was gone. "Answer me," Dom demanded.

Vince looked around the table and realized that he was all on his own. He turned bright red as he became embarrassed at his current situation. "Yeah, she left a letter," Vince whispered, rubbing a hand over his red cheek. He looked over at Kai, and smiled at her weakly, before disappearing into the house. He walked straight to his room into the basement and plopped down on the bed, throwing his head into his hands. He didn't bother to look up when he heard footsteps enter after him.

"Is that her?" He heard Kai ask, sitting down next to him. "Who?" He replied, hoping that maybe he could block out what just transpired. "The girl who has your heart," she said. He looked up from his perch, placing his elbows on his knees and staring dead, straight ahead. "What are you talking about?"

Kai scoffs and nudged him gently with her shoulder. "You think I don't know that the only reason you're with me is because of the baby? We started off as fuck buddies, V. I wasn't calculating how a pregnancy would change that and I'm not expecting this to be smooth sailing from day one, but let's at least be honest to ourselves here," she said. He sighed softly and nodded. "Yes, that was her."

"So what was all of that about?" She asked. "I'm sorry. I told Letty that I got someone pregnant, but I didn't really specify that it was you," he responded. "Why? Because you wish you were having a child with her and not me?"

_The words lingered in the air, neither one of them daring to break the silence and confirm that it was the truth. _

"Hate to tell you that I told you so," Hector said, rubbing Jackie's lower back. She currently stretched out on his bed, her face buried in a pillow. "I don't need this right now, Hec," she mumbled, "go harass Erin instead." Hector sighed, laying down next to her instead. Her crossed his arms behind his head instead and stared up at the ceiling. "Where is she anyway? I thought the two of you were inseparable," Jackie asked, flipping over onto her back, mimicking his position.

"I could say the same of you two," he responded, thinking of his new girlfriend. They had know each other for years, but they had finally gotten their head's out of their asses long enough to see that it could possibly work between the two of them. Hector had really taken a liking to her, as well, as Jackie, and the three of them were usually always together. "She's mad at me. I had to tell her the bad news last night," he said.

Jackie groaned. "What? Did you finally scare her off? Jesus, Hec! I liked this one! I thought the two of you could be great together!" She yelled at him. He shook his head. "No... I got a sponsor, Jack. I'm heading to the European circuit in three weeks," he whispered. She sat up in bed, a frown etched on her face. New tears threatened to slip out of her eyes.

Jackie had never really depended on anyone before and it was kind of nice having Hector around for support. She got used to the idea of him being around for the baby, especially now with everything that was going on with Vince..."It'll be fine, Hec. She'll see that this is your dream and she'll be okay with it," she replied. "But will you?" He responded.

She sighed and nodded. "I'll be fine. I practically raised myself. I'm sure I can make it on my own again. Plus, you'll be back to visit-" He held up a hand. "I'm not abandoning you, hermana. This is our home now. When I leave I want you to move in and raise your baby here. I'm still going to take care of everything- the bills, the house, the cars. It'll be like I never left, Jackie. This is my family now.. Our family."

Jackie threw her arms around Hector and hugged him tight. Tears streamed down her face as she realized that she would miss her best friend and cousin, more than she thought. "Plus, I want Erin to stay with you- if you and her are cool with it. I don't think I'll be able to focus knowing that the two of your are all alone in this neighborhood," Hector said.

He pulled away from her and stared directly into her eyes. "I just want you to promise me one thing- stay away from Toretto and his goons. I need you to focus on being happy and raising this baby, chica," he said. She drew in a deep breath and nodded slowly. "It hurt so much, Hec. Walking in there and seeing her. All glowing and shit. Realizing that she's going to have what I never will. A baby and a husband. A family," she replied.

_The truth was a bitter pill to swallow._


	29. The End

**Chapter 29: **The End

It was bittersweet, as Jackie and Erin helped Hector pack for his move and plan his going away party. She silently struggled with the idea of him leaving her, but she didn't dare distract him from his plan. The night of his party was finally here and Jackie had made sure to take all the necessary steps to make sure that she looked her best while hiding her pregnancy. Part of her wanted to make sure that Vince came crawling back to his knees after taking one look at her. The other part just wanted to crawl into bed and just forget it all.

Against her wishes, Hector had invited Dom and the team, trying to make sure that everything was kosher between them before his departure. "You and Vince may not be on speaking terms, but I know Dom. He will look out for you in case of an emergency," Hector said, when she questioned his decision. Hector's worse fear was that if he left to Europe, Jackie would suffer because he wasn't there, which is why he made that phone call to Dom- the one that he regretted to this day...

…

_He had lured him out by inviting him to eat at his favorite restaurant, Neptune's Net. Hector wasn't looking forward to the conversation at hand, but he knew it had to be had. He took a sip from his soda and sighed, pondering his words carefully. "Come on, Hector. I've known you about half as long as I've known, Vince. I can tell when something's wrong. Spill it," Dom said._

"_We both know this bullshit between Vince and Jackie will never come between our friendship. So when you asked me to use my connections to help Letty get set up outside of Echo Park without her or anyone else knowing, I didn't ask questions. I just made sure she was safe and happy, Dom. Like you asked me to do. Now I need you to return the favor," Hector said._

_Dom put his fork down, not sure if he liked where this was going. For Hector to throw the Letty situation in his face, he knew it must be a big favor to ask. "You're my brother, Hector. Whatever you need, I got it," he responded. "Jackie's pregnant." Dom went wide eyed at Hector's words. "You have got to be shitting me," he said, running a hand over his head. Dom sighed and leaned back into his chair._

"_Does Vince know?" He asked. "No, and she doesn't want him involved. She wants to raise the baby on her own and considering he'll be busy with his other family, I think it's for the best," Hector replied. Dom shook his head and picked up his fork. "He has a right to know. He-" He began to say, but was cut short. "No. __**HE HAD**__ a right to know. He didn't have a right to cheat, lie, and get someone else knocked up. And besides I'm not here to arrange his visitation schedule, I'm here to place my demands," Hector said._

_Dom put his fork down again and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Go ahead," he said. "I got a sponsor for the circuit in Europe in the works. If all goes well, I'll be leaving soon. I'll drop it all for them, but I need to know that if I get on that plane, my family is safe Toretto. That Jackie and that kid won't be lacking anything. I need my head in the game over there," he replied. _

"_I never questioned what I've done in the past for you and I didn't question what I did for Letty. I looked the other way when you let Vince dog my girl. I've shown loyalty all along, now I need the same from you," Hector finished. Dom nodded slowly and thought about his next move. Hector did deserve his loyalty, but Vince was his best friend. "He deserves to know. He deserves to be there for this. You know I put family over everything, I can't just sit back and let him walk around without knowing."_

"_You let Letty walk out of your life because you knew she would be better off. She deserved a better life than the one she had next to you. You even had me help her get out of town, find her a nice home, a cushy job. You have my crew checking in on her to make sure she is safe. I'm only asking the same thing here. Vince in her life only means drama. She needs to focus on her career and this child. I'm only asking for you to return the favor, brother."_

_They stared at each other in silence, for quite some time, neither daring to break the stare. Dom finally wavered, finally understanding where Hector was coming from. Just like Dom did every day, Hector was putting his family first. This would be a secret he would end up taking to his grave, he realized, as he reached across the table and held his hand out to Hector._

...

He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, staring intently into her eyes. "Listen, stay focused tonight. Enjoy yourself and don't let V or Mia drag you into any type of drama," he said, placing a kiss on her forehead, as if being able to foretell that she would be not able to avoid them. She nodded, realizing he was right. She looked hot as hell. _This will probably be the last time I can wear these pair of jeans_, she thought, as she glanced down to her favorite pair of skin-tight jeans.

Jackie was currently clad in a black peplum top, which covered the three month belly she was starting to sport. Her hair was pulled back in a slick ponytail, highlighting her cheekbones and bright eyes. "Come on, I'll buy you a soda," he said, motioning to the bar. As she made her way through the crowded club in her 5-inch stilettos, the team walked into the room. Like a protective mother lion, Erin instantly appeared at her side, and dragged her into the crowd, as soon as she spotted Vince trying to make his way towards Jackie. He growled, as he understood what was going on. As he turned around to head back to the team, he came face to face with Hector.

"Hey, brother," Hector said, sarcasm dripping off of the last word. "Hey, congrats," Vince responded, weakly. They looked at each other awkwardly, before Hector broke their silence over the loud music. "I'm leaving tomorrow, but that doesn't mean I won't have eyes on her. 24/7, Vince. Stay away from her. You destroyed her with all of your bullshit. She is now just getting back on track and is starting to show a little happiness. She doesn't need you around," he said. Vince opened his mouth to argue, but he quickly shut it, realizing he was right. He nodded, taking a step back and disappearing into the crowd.

Hector looked over to the bar and found Erin and Jackie deep in conversation, laughing wholeheartedly about something that most likely only the two of them would understand. He couldn't help but smile, feeling like his family was finally complete.

An hour later, Jackie exited the club's bathroom and came face to face with Mia. She kept walking past her, until Mia reached out and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn and look at her. "I'm sorry about how things turned out," Mia said, a small smile on her face. Jackie wasn't sure if this was one of Mia's games or not, but she wasn't about to find out. "Fuck off, Mia. Only reason I'm not pounding your head in is because this is Hector's night," she replied.

_And because I'm three months pregnant_, she thought.

"Come on," Mia pleaded, "even Hector and Dom made up. I know they go way back to their middle school days. It would suck if they stopped being friends. Plus he promised to look after you while he was gone. You know you need the help anyways." Jackie could hear the true Mia start to creep out in her last statement. She balled her fists up and stared at her.

"You know nothing about me," she snarled. Mia scoffed. "Crappy car, apartment, and life. I know how Vince used to take care of you. I'm surprised you're not knocked up too, anything to squeeze a dime out of a man," she replied.

She couldn't help the smug smile that crept onto her face as she stared Mia down. "Well maybe I am," she responded, without even processing her words. She was simply looking for a way to one-up Mia and found it. She turned on her heel to make a quick getaway, realizing that sooner or later the world would know she was pregnant anyways and smacked right into Vince's chest.

"Well are you?"

Jackie almost choked as she realized Vince was behind her the entire time. Without missing a step, she brushed past him, walking towards the nearest exit. She barely had one foot outside, before Vince pounced on her, jumping in front of her, forcing her to stop. "Well are you?" He asked again, louder this time.

She looked around nervously; making sure no one overheard them. "I took care of it, so don't worry about it," she stammered out, walking around him and heading towards her car. "What? Why?" He asked, following her. As she fumbled with her car keys, Vince snatched them out of her hands, trying to get her attention. "You have your family now, Vince. You'll have the doting wife and the perfect, blue eyed baby soon enough. You didn't need me or my bastard baby around," she said, tears threatening to spill.

Vince felt like he had just gotten punched in the gut as he processed what she had just said. He dropped her keys on the crowd and stared dead straight at her. "For the record, I would've done anything and everything for my child. You made that decision all on your own," he said, before turning around and walking away.

Jackie stared after him, resisting the urge to chase after him. She felt her chin quiver, realizing that she was about to break down any second now. She reached down and grabbed her keys off the ground, rushing over to her car. As soon as the car door clicked behind her, Jackie leaned over the steering wheel and began to cry.

_She felt like this was the end of it all, as her entire world came crashing down around her._

Vince plopped down on his bed, his head feeling fuzzy from the joint he had just smoked. He pulled off his shirt and stretched out on the bed with his eyes closed. He was so lit, he barely noticed when she entered his room, as he stretched out on the bed with his eyes closed. Kai sat down next to him and placed a hand on his thigh. She ran her eyes up and down his body, lingering on his scars. She felt her stomach turn as she drank in the carnage.

"I can feel you staring, you know," he mumbled, cracking one eye open and looking up at her. "It's that I'm still not used to them and I don't know if I can ever be okay with you walking around like that," she responded. He groaned, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. The first time they hooked up, it was in his dark backseat and neither one of them had seen much of anything. Ever since then, she had requested he keep his shirt on whenever they slept together. At first, Vince didn't mind, but now she was hinting that maybe he should wear long-sleeve shirts again.

This was one of the reasons why the team didn't like her. She making sure Vince reverted back to his old self- ashamed of his scars and feeling like he was worthless. Every time she started dropping hints about plastic surgery, he would revisit those conversations with Jackie. The ones that made him believe that it was okay to be different. It was one of the things that drew them to each other- their scars.

Lately, Vince also found himself having nightmares again, the same ones from before. The ones that came with the scars and surly scowl. And with those came the horrible memories of the things Mia used to say to him. These were all the things Jackie had fixed and Kai had brought back.

"I'll cover up around you more," he said, "but eventually, you'll just have to get used to them." She sighed softly, and ran a fingertip over his scars, a disgusted look on her face. "The baby shouldn't see you like this. Eventually when we move out-." His eyes popped open at what she said. "Move out?"

"Yeah, we can't be married and live in separate homes, V. Plus, how are we supposed to raise this baby together if you're not there? The baby will need to see you every day," she responded. He hadn't thought that far ahead or actually at all, about their living arrangements. "We're a family now. We need to be together and look out for each other," she continued.

Kai patted him on the leg and then stood up, exiting the room soon afterwards. He stared after her, pondering their conversation. He couldn't deny the feeling he had at the bottom of his stomach, like he needed to get up and do something about this, he thought to himself. I_s this how Dom feels all the time? Like the whole world is on his shoulders?_ He thought about Jackie and the horrible choice she had to make, because of him and his fuck-ups and the guilt began to tear him apart. V stared at Kai's belly, their child together, and realized that this is all he had left now. Kai may not love him, but this child would. He needed to make sure of that.

He would do everything and anything to make a perfect life for his unborn child. _She killed my child. My child. She doesn't love. Never did. I have to fight for my family, for the one I have now, since I no longer have her anymore, _he thought_. _"You're right. We should look at some places. Not too far from here though. I want to be near my friends," he said, giving in. He was ready to be a family. He needed to have a family.

_This was the beginning of the end for him, or so he thought._

__{Thanks **Violet201** for the support! Reviews keep me going!}


	30. Control

**Chapter 30: **Control

Vince didn't know how they had gotten there so fast, but next thing he knew, he was picking out wall paper for the guest bedroom and building a crib for the nursery. He had used a chunk of his heist money to put a down payment on a house seven blocks over from the fort. It was close and far enough to offer an escape for both Vince and the rest of the team. Vince also didn't know how that escape started to include Mia once again. As soon as he moved out of the fort, he found her name popping up on his caller ID more often, and before long they were back to their old tricks again. This time, they were both looking for shelter from the storm.

Mia lay down on the bed, staring up at the water stained ceiling and sighed, realizing that this was what her life had become- stained. She thought back to the good old days. When she was perfect. When everyone thought she shitted gold. And now... well now... she was the bad ass. Before she envied Letty so much. Letty commanded respect from everyone around her and everyone admired her strength and character. Mia on the other hand, brought fear out in everyone. Rumors began to spread about her around town. While everyone looked up to Letty, everyone avoided Mia. She knew she had brought this on herself and there was only one thing she could do at this point.

"So I'm thinking I'll give Brian a chance," she whispered, in the dark confines of his old bedroom at the fort. She stared at the cherry of the cigarette she was currently smoking and watched the smoke disappear into the air. Vince scoffed, not believing his ears. "The buster has been sniffing around here for months, and now you decide to give him a chance. What gives?" He asked. She shrugged her shoulders. "You had your shotgun wedding and even bought a house for Christ's sake. Maybe it's time I gave up on fucking around with you and started my own life, V. Dom is all moody and shit since Letty's gone. Leon and Jesse are out skirt chasing 24/7. I'm practically home by myself anyways, unless it's race night. That's the only time any of you are all home."

V chuckled. "Admit it, you miss us. Breaking down the bathroom door to get in. Skanks all over the house. Letty and Dom trying to kill each other. Crazy parties at all hours. Even the dirty dishes in the sink," he said. Mia nodded, throwing an arm over his chest, nestling her head on top of him. "How long are we going to keep doing this?" She asked, thinking about the fact that eventually they would need to stop.

He shrugged, not really sure if there was an answer for that- or a even a half- assed attempt at a truthful one that he would be able to stick to. "She doesn't let me do anything, Mi. Not even cook. I can't even sit in the house I paid for and cook a damn meal, let alone drink a cold beer. I have to run over here to sneak one before I drive over there after work," he said. Mia smiled, memories flooding her.

"I remember that spring that Dom went to prison and you took care of me and Letty. We were falling apart but you managed to hold us together. You took on the store, the house, and you kept us in line. My favorite part of it all was coming home from a crappy day of school and finding you in the kitchen struggling to put together a meal. There would be dirty dishes all over the place. Everything would be covered in gunk and yet, you would be so proud of yourself for pulling it all together. And then me and Letty would have to clean that crap all up," she reminisced.

"What have I gotten myself into, Mi?" V groaned, pulling a pillow over his face."The right thing, Vince. You're doing what most men out there would run away from. You're not becoming your father," she whispered. He pulled the pillow away from his face slowly, glancing over at her. "I think that's the nicest thing you ever said to me," he said. She shrugged, throwing her cigarette in the ashtray next to her. "I figured you deserved it. It's the truth, Vince. Don't let Cruella, I mean Kai, beat you down," she replied.

He stared at the woman next to him and felt his heart start to beat rapidly. Vince realized he still held a torch for her and if she asked, he would probably leave it all behind for her, even though he knew it would all eventually go up in flames. "I wish things would've worked out between us or for us," he whispered. "Yeah, but we're too much alike. Stubborn and we both have a mean streak a mile long. We would've killed each other to say I love you first," she replied. They glanced up at each other and smirked, both opening their mouths at the same time. "I love you."

_It was for the best that they that the focused on doing damage control._

Jackie laughed, as she hung up with Hector and entered her doctor's office for her follow-up visit. They had just finished their usual Monday, 2:30pm phone call, which had become a ritual for them. During this time, they would catch up on everything and anything, usually having to hop on a computer to video chat. This week, Jackie's doctor had scheduled an impromptu visit to discuss some test results. She was weary of the upcoming discussion, after having told the doctor that she wanted everything about the baby to be a surprise.

She sat in front of her doctor's desk, leaning back in her chair to compensate for the ever growing belly she was currently sporting. Jackie was currently 6 months pregnant and was no longer able to hide her pregnancy from the world. Lucky for her, her world was on the other side of town, far from where Vince would ever be caught dead. And with Hector's help, she had been able to scare everyone into silence.

She settled into the chair and watched as the doctor procured her file from within her desk drawer, and opened it up. The doctor proceeded to frown and shake her head, which caught her eye. Jackie jumped up in her seat and placed her hands on her desk, staring at the doctor wild eyed. "What? What is it?!" Jackie yelled at her.

The doctor closed her file and stood up from the chair, walking around the desk and sitting down next to her. Jackie prepared herself for the worse as the doctor took her hand and placed it within hers. "Jackie, it's a miracle, sweetie," she said, a sad smile on her face. The next fifteen minutes of her life went by in a blur, as Jackie tried to absorb the doctor's words. She sat stone faced, staring at her feeling absolutely empty inside. It was a miracle indeed, but a sad one.

"The junior partner and intern that examined you the first time you came in overlooked the trauma that you had experienced years previously. When I examined you a few days ago, I took a closer look and determined that the chances of you becoming pregnant again, at a later time, will be slim to none. Jacqueline, are you understanding what I am saying to you? When you said that you were abused previously, the extent was underestimated. You may never have children again, sweetie, let alone twins."

She exited the doctor's office in a haze, her eyes blurry with tears, her mind foggy with unspoken thoughts. _Was Vince put in her life for a reason? She was meant to have these babies_, she thought. Jackie climbed into her car, grasping the steering wheel hard, like as if trying to wring guidance out of it. She sighed softly, letting go and turning her car over. She eased her car onto the highway and typed the last address she ever thought she would need.

_She needed to get some perspective and control._

Jackie pulled into the driveway and turned her car off. In the darkness, she heard nothing, only grasshoppers and mosquitoes doing what they did best. She exited her car, not really sure what she was doing there but this was the first person that came to mind. She couldn't call Hector and distract him with any more of her problems. She was already a burden to him as is.

So she forced herself to climb those steps and knock on that door. It was the least she deserved. She heard footsteps approaching, and then the locks being undone. Her heart skipped a beat as the door swung open. "Jackie?!"

"Letty," Jackie replied, standing awkwardly on her porch. Letty stared at Jackie's belly, as Jackie drank in Letty's new attire- a button down and slacks. "You clean up nice," Jackie threw out, as Letty held the door open for her. "You're hugeeeee..." she drawled out, allowing her to enter the house.

"Did you know all along? That she was the one that was pregnant?" Jackie asked, cutting straight to the chase. Letty closed the door behind her, and motioned for her to sit on the couch. Jackie plopped down, relishing a comforting seat other than the car. "I didn't. When I sent that gift basket, I thought it was you. When Vince told me he didn't specify that it was you. I just assumed. I didn't mean for you to find out that way," she replied, sitting down across from her.

Jackie kicked her feet up on Letty's coffee table and sighed, placing her hands on her belly. "How did you find me? I thought I covered my tracks well and I know you and V don't talk," Letty said. "Hector, I found a piece of paper in his dresser with your name and address. That boy has to know everything about everyone."

"What about Vince? Does he know about the baby?" Letty asked. Jackie reached into her purse and pulled out a copy of her sonogram picture, and handed it to Letty. "Babies, twins. And no, he doesn't know," Jackie replied. Letty stared at the picture in her hand, amazed. "Twins? Jesus. Can you imagine? Two of Vince running around town. Now there will be three with him."

"Four, Letty. Don't forget Kai's pregnant too. Pregnant and married," Jackie said, sadly. Letty shook her head, and glanced up at Jackie. "From what I hear he's in utter hell and-" Jackie cut her off by holding her hand up. "I'm not here to catch up on what's going on in Vince's life," she said.

"So why are you here?" Jackie sighed, not really knowing the answer herself. "I guess, I just needed someone to talk to. Someone that wasn't caught up in all the hype of Echo Park. I needed to get away from it all," she said. And then it all came spilling out, the news about the babies, the struggle to manage to the store, the constant lonely feeling now that Hector was gone and Erin was always working.

Letty climbed over to Jackie, and sat next to her, pulling her into a bear hug. "You can always move down here. I have an extra bedroom you know. My door is always open to you," Letty whispered, rubbing her shoulder. "What about V? I don't want him to know about the babies," Jackie replied.

"He never visits anymore. She has him on a tight leash nowadays. He barely even texts or calls as is, plus I'm busy anyways," Letty said, a small blush creeping onto her face. Jackie's face perked up and she cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really? Who's the lucky guy?" She asked. Letty sighed and leaned back into the couch, kicking her feet up on the coffee table also. "He's a widow from down the street. Has two kids. Wife died in a car accident four years ago. Works at the local bank," she replied.

"How is it? Being away from it all? Getting to start fresh?" Jackie asked, wistfully. "It's great, girl. Nobody knows me, no drama, no nothing. He's home before the sun goes down. No fights about other girls. No fights about racings. All we do is work, come home, cook dinner, and watch TV. with the kids. I'm finally normal, Jack," Letty replied.

"That's all I want for my children," Jackie whispered back, rubbing her hands over her belly. "Then you know what you have to do." The two stayed up into the wee hours of the morning, catching up on current events. Jackie felt a weight get lifted off of her shoulders as she was able to pour all her feelings out, including the happiness and fear that surrounded the news the doctor had just delivered to her. Letty threw an arm around her, and consoled her, assuring her that everything happens for a reason.

_She just needed to take control of her future._

Vince pulled his car into his garage, and turned it off, sighing softly as he climbed out of it. He felt the energy drain out of him, almost instantly, as he stepped foot onto his property. With the baby a few weeks away, Vince was starting to panic. They had already finished preparing the baby's room and the house was already baby proofed. As prepared as Kai was making sure they were, he wasn't. The closer the days got, the more freaked out Vince became. He glanced at the car seat in its box in the corner of the garage and groaned. He knew eventually he would have to give in and install it in his backseat, but he kept putting it off again and again.

He shook his head softly, walking into the house. As he entered, he came face to face with Kai working on her yoga poses. Vince rolled his eyes, aggravated at the fact that she refused to accept that her body was changing. When she gained 15 pounds, she had spent 2 hours crying, and then another hour working out. "Dinners in the oven," she panted over her shoulder, as he disappeared into the kitchen.

V stopped in his tracks, staring at the pots and pans on the stove. He groaned, turning on his heel and entering the living room again. "I thought we agreed that I would cook dinner on the Fridays before the races," he stammered out, between gritted teeth. Vince walked over to the couch, throwing himself onto it, kicking his booted feet up on the coffee table. The knick knacks on the coffee table shook in protest, and Kai sucked her teeth.

"For Christ's sake, V. I'm doing my wifely duties. I cook. I clean. I even offer to fuck you every once in awhile. At least try not to be such an ass," she complained. He ignored her comment, and snatched up the control from the couch cushion, changing the channel it was currently on. She snapped her head towards him, glaring at him. Kai stood up from her position on the floor and faced him. "And when are you gonna grow up and stop racing those little matchbox cars of yours? I saw this mini-van the other day-," she began to say.

Vince wasn't paying much attention to her rant until he heard the words mini-van come out of her mouth. His eyes popped open and he glared up at her. "Never," he barked. She froze, cocking her head to the side. "What?" She questioned. "I rather have my balls cut off than drive a mini-van, much less purchase one," he responded.

"It's the way things are done, Vince. We are married with a kid on the way. I think it's time we started to act like it. You need to act like it," she said. Vince groaned, throwing the control on the couch and standing up. He walked past her and into the kitchen, grabbing his plate of food from the oven and settling down to eat. V didn't need to look behind him, he could feel her standing there, watching him.

"I think you should start sleeping upstairs, Vince. We're married with a kid on the way. I don't know why you insist on sleeping on the couch every night," she continued. Vince continued to ignore her, chewing his food in silence. "I just want a normal family. I got the house and the baby. Now I need the husband. Look, I'm trying here."

He didn't break his silence as he continued to eat with his back turned towards her. He heard her curse quietly, before walking away from him and disappearing into the living room. When she exited the kitchen, V felt himself relax. He knew he didn't love her, and as much as he had tried to find at least one ounce of him that liked her, he couldn't. Not even if his life depended on it.

Over the last couple of weeks, Kai had managed to fill Vince's heart with pure hatred, with her small jabs at him. He knew he shouldn't take it personal, but there was something about her that was able to get under Vince's skin. He didn't know if maybe it was the idea of them being stuck with each other forever, or maybe it was because he blamed her for what happened with Jackie, when he should have been blaming himself.

Vince finished his dinner and placed his dirty plates in the sink. He emerged from within the kitchen and stood by the edge of the couch, glancing down at Kai, as she watched television. "I'll be at the races and then at Dom's for the after party," he stated, quietly. Kai looked over at him and smiled. "Okay, be safe," she said, before focusing back on her show.

Vince exited the house, jumping back into his car and pulling out of the garage. He didn't know how she did, how she smiled at him like they were the happiest couple, but he couldn't do it. He thought maybe he could fake it until he actually fell in love with her, but that plan died the moment he moved in with her and put that wedding band on her finger.

_He pulled his phone out and dialed Mia's number, ready to lose control._

_{Thanks Violet201 and Firefly-Class for the support. I know, I know... it's been an extremely rough road for these guys, but I promise it'll be worth it. The sun always comes out after the storm- hopefully soon.}_


	31. Trying

{**A/N**: Sorry this update took so long. I've been role playing on a TVD forum and have also been toying with the idea of creating my own TFATF role playing forum on proboards. If anyone is interested please feel free to drop me a PM or email me at villanadelamor at gmail. Here is the much awaited update and like promised... it gets better for them.}

**Chapter 31: **Trying

Vince shut the door behind him as quietly as he could, but he was sure that the burp he let out when he entered the house was probably louder than any door slam he could muster. He sighed, making his way over to the couch that was already made out for him. The bed was pulled out and the pillows were fluffed. Like always.

He had never slept upstairs with Kai. Somehow he could never will himself to do it. He would usually sleep on the couch, and after several fights about the topic, Kai just started making up the sofa bed for him. Vince dropped onto the sofa bed like a ton of bricks, the alcohol pumping through his system making him feel heavy.

He heard the pitter, patter of feet come down the stairs, and through hazy eyes, he found Kai staring down at him. "How did you make it home?" She asked, reaching down and pulling off his boots. He shrugged, closing his eyes, allowing her to undress him. She stared at him, feeling tears build up in her eyes. "Shit, I'm trying here, Vince," she whispered, not caring if he heard her or not.

She shook her head at him and retreated back upstairs, into the confines of her cold bedroom. She had the AC cranked up high, to combat the constant hot flashes she was constantly having because of the pregnancy. Kai climbed into the bed and cocooned herself under the covers, mentally kicking herself for actually giving two shits about Vince. As she closed her eyes and began trying to force herself back to sleep, she heard footsteps approaching. She opened herself and found Vince standing in the doorway, rubbing a hand over his bare stomach.

Vince walked to her in silence and climbed into the bed, snuggling up to her. Kai didn't know what to say, so she just turned towards him and ran a hand up and down his scruffy face. "Don't get used to my big, comfy bed," she whispered. He grunted. "I paid for it, plus the couch isn't as luxurious," he replied.

They stared at each other in the darkness, neither one not knowing what to say next. Kai drew in a deep breath and decided to break the silence. "You never come up here, unless it's to shower. In the morning, when you sober up, you're going to regret coming up here," she said. He shushed her. "I'm trying here, Kai. Plus, this is mine," he whispered back, reaching over and placing his hands on her belly.

She couldn't help the smile that exploded onto her face, as he touched her. _Maybe he's finally coming around_, she thought, or _maybe he's just shitfaced enough_. She pushed all those thoughts to the back of her mind and ignored them, allowing Vince to place soft kisses on her belly. She relished the attention he was giving her, as he brought his head down and placed his ear on her belly button. "You're all I got, I don't want to lose you," he whispered.

"Only if you give up on us and on this family," she whispered back, rubbing his shoulders gently. They soon fell asleep and when Kai woke up several hours later, she was surprised to find Vince in the shower, humming a soft tune. She sighed softly, realizing that this is what their relationship had become. They would argue and most likely try to kill each other. It could be worse- they could've both walked away.

_At least they were still trying._

Brian walked up behind Mia, who was currently doing the dishes. From her position at the sink, she was looking directly into the garage and was so engrossed in trying to figure out what Dom and Vince were discussing in there, that she didn't hear him approach. She jumped, when she noticed him standing next to her. "When are you going to get over your fascination with him?" Brian asked. She scoffed and returned back to her dishes.

"I want it all. You. The team. I don't care how many hoops you make me jump through to get it. Or how many times I have to ignore you and him together," he said. "You already have Dom eating out of your hand, Brian. I'm not going to fall for your tricks again. Fool me once, shame on me. Twice, I'll kill you before the first batch of tears hit the ground," she replied.

Brian placed a hand on her arm, forcing her to face him. "I'm not playing cop anymore, Mia. I am in this 100%. I have given my entire life up, everything that I have worked for to be with this family. You guys are everything. You are everything," he said. Mia felt her resolve weaken, as if his blue eyes bore holes into her very being. "I can't Brian. I can't go through that again," she whispered, shutting the sink off, and turning to face him.

He leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips, wrapping his arms around her. Mia gave in and wrapped her arms around him, relishing his lips. She inhaled his scent, and groaned softly. "Let's go back to your place," she whispered against his lips, pushing her body against his.

_This time around, she was trying to break him._

Vince walked into the fort, humming the same song from before. The team froze in place and watched him closely. "What?" He barked, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a beer. "You had sex with her," Leon said, continuing to flip through a magazine. They erupted into laughter. "You were so trashed last night, you were bound to stick your dick in something," Jesse said, patting him on the back. V glared at him, causing a blush to creep up on the smaller man's face. "I don't got time for this shit, the boss man wants to see me," he replied, heading straight into the backyard and towards the garage.

He walked into the garage and found Dom currently waxing Letty's car. Vince cocked an eyebrow and sighed, not liking where this was going. Lately, Dom had been in a funk. Some days he wouldn't even leave the garage and some days he wouldn't even leave the local club. He had become completely obsessed with rebuilding Letty's car and focused only on racing to win enough cash to put it back together. Now that he had managed to do so, he barely spent any time at home.

"Where's the shit you needed me to do?" He asked, leaning against the door frame. "Right here," Dom said, throwing the rag on the workbench. He reached inside the car and pulled out a black duffel bag, placing it on the hood. "I need you to deliver the bag and the car to Letty," he added. Vince rolled his neck out and groaned. "Dom, she has a life of her own now. She doesn't need or want anything from us."

"Just do this for me. And then you can call on me to take care of Kai when the time comes," Dom replied. Vince let out a sarcastic laugh and glared at him. "I'm gonna need that in writing, in blood," he retorted. Dom reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "When you complete your delivery."

"Fine, I'll need gas and snack money," Vince replied. "How about I let you leave with all of your fingers attached?" Dom said, brushing past his friend, and heading for the door. Vince nodded and stared at the car in front of him, wondering how long it would take for Dom to let go. He glanced down at the keys in his hand and shook his head softly. Maybe getting rid of this car once and for all would bring him on step closer to closure.

_Or it could at least try to._

Letty heard the familiar rumble and couldn't help the butterflies that appeared at the bottom of her belly. She smiled, as she saw him climbing out of her old car and walk up her driveway through the front living room window. Letty opened the front door and ran up to Vince, wrapping her arms around him. "Come inside, I want you to meet them," she exclaimed, dragging him inside.

She led him to the backyard, where a man and two kids were currently throwing a volleyball back and forth. "So this is the new team, huh?" Vince asked, from his seat on the porch. She nodded, passing him a Corona she had retrieved from the kitchen. "Doesn't smoke, drink, or run around town. Has a savings account in the local bank and a reason to come home every night at a decent time. This is my life now," Letty replied.

They turned towards them and began to walk over. "Hey guys, this is my best friend, Vince," Letty said, motioning to him. "He's harmless, I swear. This is James, his daughter, Lisa, and his son, Max," Letty added. V stood up, wiping his sweaty hand on the back of his jeans. He didn't know why, but he was instantly nervous around them, like as if he had something to prove to them. Vince shook their hands and smiled kindly at them.

"Come on, dinner should be ready in a few," James said, motioning towards the house. As they ate dinner together, Vince realized that Letty was really at peace here. The entire time that they were eating dinner, she had a permanent smile etched on her face. This was something new. He was happy knowing that there was something more out there for his friend and was glad to see that she had finally found it. Maybe one day he would too.

After dinner, James and the kids settled down to watch television in the living room. Letty and Vince took this as an opportunity to disappear into the kitchen and grab a few drinks. As Letty was loading up the dishwasher, Vince began to grab some beers out of the fridge. Out of the corner of his eye, a sonogram picture on the fridge grabbed his attention. He frowned as he inspected it. Vince peeled the picture off of the fridge and placed it in his back pocket.

"You know, I just realized, I have to take the bus back, so it's gonna be a long ride back to my side. You think you can give me a ride to the bus depot," Vince asked, feeling like the picture was burning a hole in his back pocket. Letty closed the dishwasher and turned it on, before turning to face him. "What? You're actually leaving the Silvia here?" She asked.

"Let, the man hasn't slept since you left. He's been working on that car non-stop. He even put in all the upgrades that you told him you wanted to do. Dom wanted you to have that car," Vince replied. Letty shook her head and leaned against the kitchen counter. "I can't keep that car, V. It's the only piece of him and that life that I have left," she replied. V scoffed and lifted his arms, motioning around the room. "You can leave Echo Park, and find yourself a new house, new family, new boyfriend, but you will never be able to replace where you came from, Letty. That car is just a car. What will forever be with you is the memories, girl. You can run away and you can hide from us, but you can never hide from yourself."

She glanced up at him, realizing he was right. "Every once in awhile, I feel the pull, Vince. I feel like getting in my car and just driving straight to the fort. Drinking until I pass out and can't remember my name. Making love to Dom like we were 18 again. But then I come home from work and actually enjoy cooking and cleaning. Having a nice conversation. Going to bed at a normal time. Not having to worry about the cops chasing me down. I just wish he was here for that. With me," she replied.

"Give him time, sister. When he is ready, he'll come to you. He's just not ready for that yet. You knew when you were and you made your own way. He will when he is," he said. Letty walked over to him and threw her arms around him. "Damn, I missed you," she whispered, placing her head on his shoulder. "I'm only a phone call away, Letty. A phone call and a long drive away. I'll meet you halfway," he threw back.

Thirty minutes later, she watched from across the street, as Vince boarded the bus back to Los Angeles. She slumped down into the driver's seat of her car and inhaled deeply. The car smelled just like Dom- car grease, vanilla, and Lysol. Tears slipped out of her eyes as the bus pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared down the street, taking her friend with it. Letty sighed softly, looking into the rearview mirror and cleaning herself up. As she did so, a black duffel bag caught her eye.

She grabbed the bag and dragged it up to front passenger seat, ripping it open and pulling out it's contents- bundles of cash, stacks of pictures and a sealed envelope. Letty briefly went through the pictures and her breath hitched in her throat. It was pictures of her and Dom through the years. She knew that it wasn't all of them, but she couldn't believe that he had parted with some of their pictures. Her hands shook as she tore open the envelope and pulled up the letter he had written her.

_Letty, I gave you that name. I remember, Nicolette seemed so foreign to me. That's what attracted me to you. You weren't like the rest. Caramel skin. Dark eyes. Dark hair. Your sultry laugh. Damn, I miss you. I now understand your choice to leave. I understand how you feel, or hopefully, felt. I feel the same way. Lost and crazed without you. You made my life bearable. I now understand that I had left you a long time before you left. You were lost and crazed. And I'm glad that you found your way. I don't want to know where you are, which is why I told Vince to deliver this message to you. Because if I knew where you are, I would go right now to you. Knowing where you are would give me another opportunity to fuck it up. I rather give you the life you need and deserve. I rather you come home when you want to. When you need to. I'll always be waiting for you. I love you. Every night I find myself in the garage alone with your Silvia. It's the only way I can sleep. Because it's the only part of you left. It's like when I'm underneath it, I'm underneath you. I send you the $ because it's your share. You earned it. I'll also send the following heists $ because you are a part of this team- no matter what. Use it to build your new life, because at least I'll feel like I helped you get your happiness. I love you, Letty. I'll always be here. Waiting for you. 3 years from now. 10. Doesn't matter. I'll leave everything and everybody for you. Just say those words. Those 3 little words._

_-Dom_

Letty grasped the letter to her chest and began to cry uncontrollably. She had to stop herself from picking up the phone and calling him. From driving straight to him. She sat in that car and cried until her eyes ran dry, her voice got hoarse and her head started to pound. Then and only then, when she could barely even muster the strength to turn the car on, did she bother to drive back home and crawl into bed. Where she would forget that she ever read that letter.

_Or she would die trying to._

Vince sat in the dimly lit kitchen and stared at the sonogram picture in his hand. He ran a hand over his face and sighed, not believing what was currently in front of his face. He heard movement upstairs and glanced at the clock on the wall. 5:30AM. "Cravings," he muttered, shoving the picture back in his pocket.

He glanced at the kitchen table and groaned, trying to clean up his mess. Vince had recently come back from the team's latest heist, and this time things hadn't gone as smooth. The truck driver had fought back, slicing Vince on his side and his back with a knife. He had managed to stop the bleeding when he had gotten back home, but in the process, he had had made quite a mess.

Vince grabbed the garbage can from the corner of the room and dumped the used gauze pads into it, trying to clear away all of the evidence. He grabbed the first aid kit he was using and was shoving the contents back into it, when the kitchen lights flickered on. He turned towards the kitchen door and found Kai standing there, staring at him in shock.

"Vince, what's going on?" She asked, a bewildered look on her face, her eyes stuck to the large gashes on him. "You move quick for someone the size of a beluga whale, " he replied, continuing to clean up. Kai walked over to him, grabbing the garbage can from him. "Stop bullshitting me, Vince. What is going? You're coming home at all hours. And then you're all banged up! I'm your wife for Christ's sake!" She yelled.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the baby kicking in her belly, and that's what did it for him. The truth came spilling out of him in waves. He knew the team would be pissed that he told her the truth, but she had to know. Eventually she would find out, he couldn't keep coming home at 5AM all bloody and not expect any questions. He couldn't be married to her and not need an alibi.

"Come upstairs. We should get you cleaned up and in bed soon. You have to be at work on time tomorrow," she simply replied, like as if he said nothing out of the ordinary. Vince stared at her in shock, not believing his ears. He nodded, dumping the rest of the bloody gauze in the garbage can. He turned off the kitchen lights and followed her upstairs to her private bathroom.

V watched as Kai ran him a warm bath and laid out clean clothes for him to wear, throwing his dirty ones in the bottom of the hamper. "Do you want me to pull out the sofa bed for you?" She threw over her shoulder, as she walked back and forth in between the bedroom and the bathroom. "No, the bed up here is fine," he found himself saying, slipping into the warm water. His body creaked in protest, but his heart felt relaxed for the moment.

_It was finally done trying to fight back._

{Thanks FaStandFurious123 and Firefly-class! Happy to deliver!}


	32. Chance

**A/N: **Hello all! Sorry this update took so long! I've been working on creating a roleplaying forum with my roommate, so I've been a bit distracted. Here is the link: **fastandfuriousrp . boards . net** {no spaces} please feel free to check it out. We're just getting started and still working on it. It's been a crazy week, so I apologize for any typos.

**Chapter 32****: **Chance

Vince and Kai sat at the local diner, currently having brunch. He had just finished another heist with the team that morning, and came home to Kai waiting up for him. And once again, she acted like there was nothing out of the ordinary. The waitress came up to their table and placed a heaping plate of home fries amongst their already full table and walked away, leaving them finally alone.

"So what about these jobs?" She whispered, glancing around her. V shrugged, not knowing how much he should really say. "How long, V? I knew you got into some trouble a while back, but I didn't think it was this bad." He leaned into the table, their voices hushed. "I don't know, okay. Bills have to be paid. The kid's gonna have to eat," he responded.

"I can always go back to work once I give birth. It won't be that big of a deal," she replied, shoving a forkful of fries into her mouth. "I'll always take care of you, no matter what. Don't worry about that. I'll start racing again and I'll be able to lay off the heists soon. Family is the most important thing to me right now," he said.

She stared at him, not sure if it was the hormones talking, but she opened her mouth. "I want you guys to let me in. Listen, I understand why you kept me out of the inner circle. You had a secret to protect, but we're married now. I'm protected. I looked it up. I can't be made to testify and some other crap. I want to be apart of your family now, V," she said, almost pleaded.

Vince reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, reaching in and grabbing the picture he had been staring at for the last couple of days non-stop. "My entire family, Kai?" He asked, sliding the folded up picture across the diner table. She picked up the picture, opening it up. With shaky fingers, she ironed it out, her eyes tracing the outlines while searching for an answer. "Is this who I think it is? J. Gonzalez?" Her fingers running along the name and medical information in the top corner.

He nodded, leaning back in the booth. She could feel tears begin to well up in her eyes, as the realization began to dawn upon her. She was no longer the mother of his only child. "How did this happen? Why am I just finding out about this now?" She asked, her voice quivering. He shrugged. "She told me that she was having an abortion and then I went to Letty's last week and found this on her fridge," he whispered, his voice sounding defeated.

"You need to go talk to her, Vince. This has to be some kind of sick joke," she said, dropping her head into her hands. "You're telling me. A week ago, I had one kid. Now I got three," he replied. "Three? She's having twins?!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "That's four mouths to feed, including yours. That means more races and more heists to make ends meet."

She could see Vince getting worked up and drew in a deep breath. "Just talk to her, V. Maybe the two of you can come to some kind of agreement. Some kind of... I don't know...Child support. You see them every so often. Send money. I don't know," she rambled on. Kai ran a hand over her face. He stared her, a bewildered look on his face. It's not quite what he was envisioning, somewhere in the back of his mind he had this stupid idea that they could all live happily ever after, together.

_He just needed a chance to figure it all out._

Vince felt guilty as he went through the motions of being the doting soon-to-be-father and husband. It seemed like he was hiding from what he already knew and from what everyone was avoiding speaking of. He couldn't face her. He was scared shitless of the kid he already had on the way, how could he face the two he didn't even know he had? He felt like everything and everyone was moving around him at such a fast pace, as he sat back and tried to make sense of it. He was officially fucked.

Dom had replaced his obsession with Letty's car, with his father's car. Vince laid out on the beach chair and watched from his perch as Dom disappeared under it. He grimaced as a long, legged blond thing slid up to Dom, and passed him a wrench- what he could only guess was Dom's latest conquest. Vince shook his head, realizing that may he wasn't the only one trying to forget what was going on around him.

From his perch, he could see clearly into the kitchen and watched as Mia and Brian sat down at the kitchen table. She looked happy with him- for the moment. He couldn't help but sigh, as a small feeling of worry settled in at the bottom of his stomach whenever he looked at the two of them together. He didn't know if what he was feeling was jealousy towards Mia or curiosity. _What are you up to?_, he asked himself, thinking about Mia and Brian's relationship and how one minute she was happy with Brian and the next she was trying to sneak off with V to a dark corner.

_He had to stay strong and give his family a chance._

Vince watched from the shadows of the driveway as she walked up the driveway, a bucket of fried chicken in hand. She paused half way, reaching in and grabbing a piece, taking a large bite out of one. He chose at that moment to step out and catch her by surprise.

Jackie's breath caught in her throat as a piece of half chewed chicken travelled down her windpipe. She dropped the bucket of chicken and began to cough loudly. Vince ran up to her, placing a hand on the small of her back, steadying her as she cleared her airway.

She turned towards him, her face red from coughing exaggeratedly. When she brought her eyes to his face, she found his face glued to her belly. They stood in silence for what felt like forever, under the glow of the stars and the lights that were on inside the house.

Even though he stood in front of her fully clothed, he felt naked. Vince pulled at the end of his sleeves and wished they were two inches longer. He wished he could hide from her, from the truth. He ran a hand down his face, missing the beard he had spent months growing out, back when he was seventeen. If that beard could talk, it could tell stories that would land him in jail. The beard it had taken Kai minutes to shave off, after she had convinced him that the baby wouldn't like him scruffy.

Truth was, he was a completely different man and he didn't like it. Against his wishes, Kai had changed him into what she thought a father should be. Gone were the layered tank tops and the grease stained jeans. Now he was the new and improved Vince. He only consoled himself with the idea that everything he did, he did for his family.

"What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with you?" She barked at him, ignoring the obvious. He looked at her bewildered, motioning to her stomach. "Care to explain how you're seven months pregnant and you didn't bother to tell me? What were you thinking, Jackie?" Vince yelled. She scoffed at him and began to clap at him. "Yes, that's was what I was doing. Thinking. About you and that WHORE you married." Jackie kicked the bucket of chicken and screamed.

"I know you probably don't want to see me," he whispered, shoving his hands into his pockets. Jackie nodded, staring off into the darkness behind him, her face showing no emotion. "But I needed to see you. I couldn't act like I didn't know anymore. I couldn't look at his face and not wonder about theirs. Letty didn't tell me. She had the sonogram on her fridge and I went to drop off something for Dom. I put two and two together," he continued.

"His face?" She questioned. Jackie turned towards him, a sad frown on her face. "My son, Evan. He was born last week," Vince said. She inhaled and let it out slowly, staring up unto the sky. Jackie leaned against her car, crossing her legs at her ankles. They stood in silence once again.

"I can't believe you let her put you in long sleeves again. Make you ashamed of yourself," she said, running a hand over her belly. "She's my wife. The mother of my child," V replied. "And what am I, V? Shit? I'm carrying two of them? Does that count for anything? When I first met you, you were a shell of a man. I made you the asshole that thought he could go stick his dick in her. I guess that's my payment for supporting you and for showing you that it's what's on the inside that matters," Jackie threw back.

She got off the car and began to walk towards the house. "I want to be a part of these kids lives. I'm not my father and I'm not yours. Please, just give me a chance. I know I don't deserve a chance with you, but these kids deserve a father, just how we did," V said to her back. She turned and faced him, a sad smile on her face.

"How, V? How are we going to make this work? This is some fucked up family tree," she replied. He shrugged, pulling out a jewelry box from his pocket. "One step at a time, okay?" He said, handing her the box. She nodded, taking it, and watched him walk back to his car. She waited until he was far down the street before opening the jewelry box and finding two baby bracelets.

They were already labeled- Amy and Liana. Names made up of his mother's name, Amelia. Tears slipped down Jackie's face as she sat down on the front step of Hector's house and found her resolve dwindling. She knew she couldn't fight forever, but she could try. She grasped the two bracelets in her hand and realized that Vince was trying to create the family that he couldn't have with Kai with her. A small part of her was happy with that, but the rest of her was destroyed.

_72 hours later, she decided to give him a chance, as her contractions set in._

The package came two weeks later by priority mail. Vince instantly recognized Letty's handwriting on the label and signed for it before the rest of the team could get their hands on it, disappearing downstairs into his old basement room with it. He sat down on his old rickety bed and opened it carefully, as if scared that it would disintegrate right before his eyes.

When he opened the envelope, Vince's eyes hungrily searched for any sign of Jackie and found none. He only found two pictures, both of each twin with Letty. He ran his fingers over each perfect baby- memorizing each dimple, each dark strand of hair, their baby blue eyes which matched his and the bracelets he had bought them. Vince's breath hitched as he took it all in.

Dom stepped into the room and nodded at his best friend. V handed him the picture, before running out of the room. Dom lingered in the room, staring at the picture, but for different reasons. He studied Letty, clad in hospital scrubs, a smile plastered on her face. He smirked at the picture. Those lucky little shits, he thought, before dropping the pictures on the bed, and heading back upstairs.

That night, no one could find Vince, but Mia knew where he was. So she went to him, against Brian's wishes, drawing even more bad blood among them.


End file.
